The Language of Flowers

[print edition page number: 7]

A free adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Music by Germaine Franco

SETTING: 1990s Los Angeles. The play takes place on October 31st, November 1st, and November 2nd, combining the American holiday of Halloween and the two Mexican holidays referred to as Day of the Dead, or Days of the Dead. It’s commonly believed that during Día de los Muertos the dead return in the form of calaveras to commune with family and friends.

Characters

JULIAN BOSQUET — Banker, second generation Mexican American.
JULIET BOSQUET — His daughter.
CANDELARIA MARTINEZ — Romeo’s mother. In the U.S. illegally.
ROMEO MARTINEZ — Her son. Also undocumented.
BENNY MARTINEZ — Romeo’s cousin. American born. Combines the qualities of Shakespeare’s Benvolio and Mercutio.
TOMMY BOSQUET — Juliet’s cousin. Julian’s nephew.
RUBEN GUTIERREZ — Law school student. In love with Juliet.
SGT. LOPEZ — With the LAPD. Distantly related to the Bosquet family. Though of the same generation as Julian, considers himself Chicano.
FATHER LAWRENCE — Hispanophile priest. Avid researcher of rainforest plants.
MARIA — Maid in Bosquet home. Unwilling mistress of Julian.
MANUEL — Servant in Bosquet home. A calavera. [8]
CURANDERA/O — Herbalist.
CORRIDISTA — Mexican balladeer.
CALAVERAS — Día de los Muertos skull figures.
COYOTE CALAVERA — Trafficker.
DRAG TRICK-OR-TREATER
UNCLE SAM
HOMEBOY
COP
WAITER
PARTY GUESTS

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE: Romeo Martinez, Julian Bosquet, and Ruben Gutierrez have first names that are sometimes pronounced in English and sometimes in Spanish. When the Spanish pronunciation is emphasized in the dialogue, the names are italicized. More generally, when characters are speaking in Spanish or using Spanish pronunciation, names are accented where appropriate. [9]

ACT 1
Scene 1

October 31st, morning. Indeterminate street sounds, a little Spanish, lots of English. Lights rise in two areas. From the shadows of one area, BENNY speaks.

BENNY
This morning it hit me. Laying in my bed, the sheets around my neck. I’m tired. My back. Heavy. My legs. Like two trucks.

A cigarette is lit in the other area, an incendiary moment. TOMMY speaks from the shadows.

TOMMY
Jerk.

BENNY
Payaso.

Both step into full light.

TOMMY
You’re the clown, Benny. (pause) Wetback.

BENNY (with a shrug, holding a can of Olde English 800)
¡Híjole! Wetback. Salud, I was born here. But it don’t matter, Tommy. We’re all wetbacks from somewhere. Some of us walked over here. Like the Indians. Across Alaska, mano. In winter. Red-brown indio mules, they walked all the way to Patagonia. Later, some of these same indios changed their minds and came back. They flew out of the valles of Mexico, the barrios of Central America, the favelas and barrancas of South America like hungry birds. “We’re back,” they said. “Buenos días.” At the same time, other people started floating in on boats. From both sides. The east side and the west side. When they saw the land, the boat people poured out of their dirty little boats like hungry tuna, shrimp, and albacore. “The ocean is no place to live,” they said. “It moves around too much. The sky turns so black at night, you can’t even see it.” So they ditched their boats. Right out there on the beach. And then they started looking around. For land. This land. And that’s how it happened. Everybody in the whole world found themselves right here in the middle of [10] pinche L.A. Hungry. Tired. Sweaty. And pissed off at everybody. Eventually somebody said, “Why can’t we all get along?” But nobody listened.

CANDELARIA MARTINEZ runs across the stage.

CANDELARIA
¡Malditos! My purse! You took my purse! ¡Policía! ¡Policía!

She exits. A police siren rises.

TOMMY
Wetbacks. Working for nothing in basements. Give ’em anything, they burn it. Trash it. Loot it. Kill each other on the streets like flies. Because of them there’s a war going on.

BENNY
Why should you live, Tommy? And they die? Why should you eat? And they die?

TOMMY
It’s war. They steal from me. I get it back.

BENNY
War. Big word. You win. They fight. You take. They take back. Even in the movies, Tommy, the good guys don’t get everything.

TOMMY
You don’t like it? So leave.

BENNY
Maldito.

TOMMY
You want to stay and fight, Benny? Come on. Come on.

A fight seems about to break out. Suddenly, the stage explodes into full light, and the streets of L.A. come alive. TOMMY pulls out a .44 Magnum.

BENNY
You think I’m afraid of your gun, Tommy? I’m from Mexico, mano.

Police sirens rise again. [11]

TOMMY
Cops. Better run.

BENNY (referring to the gun)
Keep it out, payaso.

Scene 2

SGT. LOPEZ and CANDELARIA MARTINEZ enter.

SGT. LOPEZ (giving her the purse)
Óyeme, Señora Martínez. The streets are no place for you.

JULIAN BOSQUET enters impeccably dressed in Ivy League khaki pants and a blue blazer.

CANDELARIA
Buenos días, Señor Bosquet.

JULIAN
Lock ’em up, Tony. Throw away the key.

SGT. LOPEZ
Yeah, Julian?

JULIAN
Tax payers need a break. Get ’em out of town. On the first plane.

SGT. LOPEZ
Yeah, Julian?

TOMMY
Don’t even feed ’em.

SGT. LOPEZ
You think so, Tommy?

TOMMY
Gotta break even somewhere.

He puts the gun behind his back. [12]

JULIAN
Hey, Tony, haven’t seen you around. Come over sometime. Have a few beers. I’m serious.

SGT. LOPEZ
It’s Antonio, to you, Julián. Antonio.

JULIAN (acknowledging the put down)
Yeah. Well. Come over anyway, Tony. We’ll catch up on old times.

SGT. LOPEZ
You got something new to say about turning Republican? Julián?

JULIAN
Tony, Tony, wake up. The movimiento is over.

SGT. LOPEZ
That’s not what the streets tell me.

JULIAN
So get out of ’em. (beat) Come by the bank. I’ll work up a portfolio for you. So you can get a decent job. And relax for a change.

SGT. LOPEZ
I like my job, Julián. I like being a cop. Tommy, give me the gun.

TOMMY
I got a permit.

SGT. LOPEZ
And I got a right to take it in and check the papers. Tommy? You have trouble understanding cops for some reason? (pause) I could take both of you in.

Another COP comes out of the shadows, gun drawn.

I could also make sure you were both forgotten for a while. In the holding tank. (pause) For a couple of days. A week or two.

JULIAN
All right, Sgt. Lopez. Have it your way.

(to TOMMY) Give him the gun. [13]

TOMMY
Hell no!

JULIAN
TOMMY!

SGT. LOPEZ (to TOMMY)
Slowly. Slowly.

TOMMY
Julian!

JULIAN
Tommy. Give him the gun. Now.

TOMMY hands the gun to SGT. LOPEZ.

JULIAN (to TOMMY)
And now I want to talk to you.

TOMMY
All right.

JULIAN
Just what the hell —

TOMMY
All right!

BENNY (to TOMMY)
Cabrón.

TOMMY stops and turns around.

Congratulations. You understand Spanish.

TOMMY
I’ll get you, man.

JULIAN and TOMMY exit.

SGT. LOPEZ (to BENNY)
And you, wise guy. Get outta here. NOW!

A CORRIDISTA enters and sings “Corrido El Lay.” [14]

CORRIDISTA

Nuestro corrido begins in this city.
Los Ángeles, also known as El Lay.
Una ciudad, a very big city,
With mucha gente de muchos lugares
Arriving here each day
To live in El Lay.
Nicaragüenses y salvadoreños,
Guatemaltecos all fleeing from war,
Pobres cubanos, también mexicanos,
Searching for work for themselves,
Bringing their families here to stay
Right here in El Lay.
But nuestro corrido is not about war,
Nuestro corrido is all about love.
Juliet, an American, met Romeo, a poor Mexican.
Their love started boiling,
They were meant for each other,
It was written that way.
But El Lay is not for loving,
El Lay is not for love,
El Lay is not for dreaming,
And El Lay is not for luck.
Now I’ve started this corrido,
But now I’ll end my song.
Romeo and Julieta
Should tell their story
On their own.

Scene 3

CANDELARIA
¿Qué pasó, sobrino? Dime. What happened?

BENNY
Just Tommy. Up to his old tricks.

CANDELARIA
¿El loco Tomás? [15]

BENNY
No better than his coconut uncle.

CANDELARIA
And Romeo? Have you seen him?

BENNY
Yeah. This morning. Walking. Muy agüitado —

CANDELARIA
¿De veras?

BENNY
He thinks he’s in love. I went to him, but he didn’t see me. And me, pos, I wasn’t feeling so good. La cruda y todo —

CANDELARIA (taking beer can away from him)
Ay, Benito, you drink too much!

BENNY (taking beer can back)
¡Ni modo! (beat) So I left. And he kept on walking.

CANDELARIA
¡Ay, Benito! I don’t know what to do! When the moon comes out, Romeo wakes up. And then, when the sun rises, he sleeps. Benito, men should sleep when the sun sleeps, pero Romeo —

BENNY
¡Caramba, tía! What am I supposed to do?

CANDELARIA
Talk to him. In this country, sons don’t talk to their mothers.

BENNY
In this country, tía, no one talks to anyone.

CANDELARIA
But Benito, Romeo is like a flower. With a worm inside. And every morning when the sun comes out to give us life and strength, the worm gets hungry. And eats. Chewing on my son’s corazón. In México, Benito, I would take the flower to a curandero. But here — [16]

BENNY (seeing ROMEO)
Ay, viene. He’s coming.

CANDELARIA
Talk to him, Benito. Tell him how things are in this country —

BENNY
In this country, we have nothing, tía. Unless we fight for it every minute of every day.

CANDELARIA
Bueno.

BENNY (seeing ROMEO approaching)
Ay viene. I’ll talk to him, all right?

ROMEO enters wearing a white house painter’s outfit.

CANDELARIA
Gracias, Benito, gracias.

She exits.

BENNY
De nada. De nada.

(to ROMEO) ¿Y tú? What’s happening, bro?

Scene 4

ROMEO
Lots of noise, Benito.

BENNY (with a shrug)
Cops. You know …

ROMEO
Nothing but hate. You can smell it. The barrio on fire with uzis light as feathers. Tezcatlipoca’s dark smoke burning bright. Brighter than the sun. And nobody sleeps. Even at night. [17]

BENNY
Chingao.

ROMEO
You think it’s funny?

BENNY
Simón, it makes me want to cry.

ROMEO
¿Por qué, primo?

BENNY
Because you’re messed up, man.

ROMEO
No Benny! I’m in love. Con Carolyn. But she’s so heavy.

BENNY
I thought you were the one on top.

ROMEO
She’s messing me up, primo!

BENNY
Like I said! (beat) And guess what?

ROMEO
What?

BENNY
I got more news on your Carolyn.

ROMEO
She’s doing something.

BENNY
How old is she? Eighteen?

ROMEO
Who is it? [18]

BENNY
Your Carolyn, Romeo, is about to expand her horizons. See, girls like Carolyn mess around with guys like us —

ROMEO
Because we’re suave, que no?

BENNY
But they don’t marry us. You understand, baboso?

ROMEO
So what?

BENNY
You listening to me?

ROMEO
Yeah. I’m listening.

BENNY
We’re suave, all right.

ROMEO
Yeah. Smooth. Like midnight.

BENNY
But that don’t write no checks. ¿M’entiendes, Mendes? ¿M’entiendes?

ROMEO (hurt)
All right! So what?

BENNY
So pop out of it. This is El Lay, mano. The whole city is full of beautiful brown-eyed rucas. From everywhere! Half of Central America is already here. And the other half is praying and packing. Don’t get strung out on one girl. Leave that to the pinche americanos.

ROMEO
Okay. Okay … pero …

BENNY
Pero, nothing! ¡Ya estuvo! Right? [19]

ROMEO
Right. Okay.

BENNY
Bueno.

ROMEO
Bueno. (pause) But Tezcatlipoca’s smoke, Benny —

BENNY
¡Chingao!

ROMEO
— burns in the eyes of those in love. When you’re in love you can’t forget.

BENNY
Survival, Romeo. Survival is the only thing you need to remember.

ROMEO
It’s not for me to fall out of love.

BENNY
Then it’s up to me to make you fall.

They exit.

Scene 5

October 31st, noon. Lights rise on JULIAN BOSQUET and RUBEN GUTIERREZ, both dressed in Ivy League khaki pants and blue blazers.

RUBEN
Well, Mr. Bosquet? My heart is on my sleeve.

JULIAN
She’s young, Ruben.

RUBEN
And beautiful. [20]

JULIAN
But still a baby. Just eighteen.

RUBEN
A lot of Hispanic girls get married at eighteen, sir.

JULIAN
My wife didn’t wait even that long.

RUBEN
The beautiful ones should get married right away, don’t you think?

JULIAN
Best place for them. They do say beauty is a weapon. Especially in the form of an attractive woman.

RUBEN
Mr. Bosquet, I meant no disrespect —

JULIAN
Rubén, I never thought for a second —

RUBEN
My name is Ruben, sir.

JULIAN
I’m sorry, in Spanish, Ruben is pronounced Rubén.

RUBEN
Yeah, but that’s not what anybody calls me. See, my name is Ruben.

JULIAN
Yeah. Ruben. (beat) Hey, it’s my problem. The old neighborhood comes out sometimes. You know, the old crowd —

RUBEN (a world apart)
What crowd, Mr. Bosquet?

JULIAN
Just … nothing. Forget it. It doesn’t matter. Tonight is going to be special. Because tonight — with my blessing — you and Juliet will start being a couple. In public, I mean. [21]

RUBEN
Thank you, Mr. Bosquet. Juliet said you were old fashioned —

JULIAN
Old fashioned? Just because I want the very best for my daughter?

RUBEN
What I mean is … don’t get me wrong, sir. I love Juliet. Actually, I’m kind of wild about her. But not in a bad way —

JULIAN
Of course! Of course! Manuel?

MANUEL, a servant of the household, enters. He is a calavera, though JULIAN does not see him as such.

MANUEL
¿Sí, señor?

JULIAN (giving him a stack of small envelopes)
Take these and deliver them by hand.

(to RUBEN) Some people won’t bother to come without a personal gesture.

RUBEN
People are busy …

JULIAN
And Halloween parties have to be fun. Or else …

(to MANUEL) Deliver them all by 2 o’clock. You understand?

MANUEL
Sí, señor.

RUBEN
Could I interest you in some lunch, Mr. Bosquet?

JULIAN
Call me Julian. And, yeah, lunch would be great. You can bring me up to date on law school.

RUBEN
I’m already boning up for Moot Court. [22]

JULIAN
Ruben, that’s months away!

RUBEN
You can never be too ready!

JULIAN and RUBEN exit.

MANUEL
Chingao. I can’t read these.

Scene 6

Lights rise on BENNY and ROMEO.

BENNY
You put out one fire with another fire. Play the field. Check things out, hombre! ¡Asi hacen los americanos! It’s the American way. Kill one poison, love, with another poison, partying. Get loose, you’re too uptight.

ROMEO
Cállate, okay?

BENNY
Are you pissed off again?

MANUEL enters.

ROMEO
You don’t understand, primo. To me Carolyn is like food. Like water.

MANUEL
¿Señores? Con permiso.

ROMEO
I need her. I can’t stop!

MANUEL
We all stop. Sooner or later.

ROMEO
What? [23]

MANUEL
Forget it. I know you will.

For a brief moment, ROMEO sees MANUEL as he really is, a calavera.

ROMEO
Old man, what are you?

MANUEL
I’m just passing through, señor.

ROMEO
Leave me alone.

BENNY
¡Flaco! ¿Qué quieres, viejo?

MANUEL
Hágame el favor, señor, de leer estas cartitas —

BENNY (ripping open one envelope)
Hey. Check this out, mano. Coconut Bosquet is throwing his “annual Halloween party.” And look at these names: Anglos, Arabs, Jews, not one Latino name. He’s inviting the entire United Nations but nobody south of the border. And check this out: “Southwestern cuisine will be served.”

ROMEO
Southwestern? What is that?

BENNY
No beans. And watery salsa.

MANUEL
Come to the party, anyway, señores. Don Bosquet wants a full house. And drink his beer. If you can’t be happy when you’re young, estás bien chingado, que no?

BENNY
Come on, primo. Your Carolyn will probably be at this fancy “Southwestern” party. Let’s go. And check her out. [24]

ROMEO
If Carolyn is there, I have to see what she’s up to —

BENNY
Okay, but no crying if you see her with another guy —

MANUEL (grabbing envelopes from BENNY’s hands)
Señores, por favor —

BENNY
¡Ay, que chivo!

He takes an invitation.

See this guy? He’s going to be out of town. Okay?

He slips MANUEL some money.

Okay?

MANUEL (taking the money)
¡Seguro que sí! Come to the party. Señor Bosquet never runs out of beer —

BENNY
Yeah. But it’s Coors.

Scene 7

October 31st, late afternoon. Lights rise on JULIAN and MARIA.

JULIAN
¡Ay, María!

MARIA
¿Sí, señor?

JULIAN
Raising a daughter would be so much easier if I had a wife.

MARIA
I agree, señor. But you divorced her.

JULIAN
Where is Juliet? [25]

MARIA
In the house, Don Julián.

JULIAN
I told you to always keep track of her. Juliet!

JULIET enters, carrying several shopping bags.

JULIET
I’m right here, Dad.

JULIAN
Shopping? Again?

JULIET
For the party! I hardly spent anything. Except for one thing, but it’s —

JULIAN
Hey! It’s all right. Anything that makes you beautiful is money well spent.

JULIET
Dad!

JULIAN
Because eventually, I’ll get my return. As soon as you’re engaged to Ruben —

JULIET
Ruben? Ruben who?

JULIAN
Ruben Gutierrez.

JULIET
Dad, I hardly know him!

JULIAN
He’s almost out of law school, and he’s crazy about you. Successful men like Ruben need good looking women. Jules, I want you to look perfect tonight.

JULIET
Dad, it’s just a party — [26]

JULIAN
It’s never “just a party.” As the wife of an up-and-coming lawyer, you’re going to learn that.

JULIET
Dad, I think we should sit down and —

JULIAN
Later. Tonight, I want everything perfect. Your hair. Your face. When you’re young, Jules, there’s not a moment to waste. Maria?

MARIA
¿Sí, señor?

JULIAN
Make sure she’s beautiful —

MARIA
I will, señor.

MANUEL enters.

MANUEL
Don Bosquet, todo está listo, the food is here —

JULIAN
Why don’t you speak English? Just English?

MANUEL
— the yard is clean, ya llegaron las flores —

JULIAN
Go back to the kitchen and make sure the caterers have everything they need.

MANUEL
Sí, señor

He exits.

JULIAN
And you, young lady, go get ready.

JULIET
All right. Sure. [27]

JULIAN
Juliet?

JULIET
Yes?

JULIAN
Yes, what?

JULIET
Yes. (pause) Sir.

JULIAN
You’ll be beautiful, Jules. I know it.

He exits.

JULIET
Why should I be beautiful? Just to please him?

MARIA
Men like to have their way, mija.

JULIET
Around you, maybe.

MARIA (understanding the insult)
¡Sinvergüenza! To you life is a joke.

JULIET
Living with Dad, what else can it be?

They exit.

Scene 8

October 31st, evening. Lights rise on BENNY and ROMEO on their way to the party. ROMEO, still in his painter’s whites, is now wearing a Halloween mask. BENNY is decked out as Zorro.

ROMEO
Benny, maybe we shouldn’t go to this pinche party. I don’t even have a costume — [28]

BENNY
Tell ’em you’re a house painter.

ROMEO
I am a house painter!

BENNY
Yeah, but tonight you’re a pretend house painter. Romeo, get with the program. They’ll laugh at us. We’ll hit the beers. And then we’ll leave. You ready? (beat) Silence on the set! Action!

Lights rise on the Halloween party. BENNY makes a flamboyant entrance.

PARTY PERSON
Oh, wow! Zorro just walked in!

ROMEO (to BENNY)
This is really stupid, man.

BENNY
Chill. I like my costume.

ROMEO
If you don’t think this is stupid —

BENNY
Keep your mask on. That way you can eyeball the rucas up and down, and they won’t even know you’re looking. Come on, Romeo, have fun! Eat them up!

ROMEO
No. I’m going to be a flower on the wall.

BENNY
Baboso, se dice “wallflower.”

ROMEO
Okay! Like that!

BENNY
Sometimes, you know, I don’t know where you learned English. You can’t be a wallflower. You’ll stick out! You gotta dance. [29]

ROMEO
I don’t want to dance. Tezcatlipoca’s smoke sits like smog in front of my eyes. I’ll just watch. Okay?

BENNY
Okay. But at least drink. Coconut Bosquet ain’t gonna run out of nothing. Romeo, I gotta tell you something. I’m your cousin, right? Your primo and your best friend. Your ONLY friend. Since you crossed over, illegally —

ROMEO
Shut up! ¡Cállate! (beat) You know, you drink too much.

BENNY
You just figured that out?! I think you got Old Timer’s Disease —

ROMEO
And cut the stupid jokes.

BENNY
We’re at a party! The perfect place for stupid jokes! But seriously, I have three things to tell you. Yeah, I drink too much. Women are nothing but trouble. And number three? In this country, the americanos don’t know how to have any fun. But me, primo? Tonight I’m Zorro. I’m gonna mess around real good mano, because nobody knows who the hell I am.

ROMEO
I don’t think we should be here.

BENNY
So leave.

ROMEO
I had a dream last night.

BENNY
I did too. Mine was wet.

ROMEO
That’s all? That’s all you remember?

BENNY
Let me think. Oh yeah. It was a lie. This (clutching his crotch) was the only real part. [30]

ROMEO
¡Ay, Benito! Dreams always come true. You know that.

BENNY
¡Chingao, hombre! When the hell are you gonna grow up?

ROMEO
And be like you? Too American?

BENNY
And you’re the Mexican, huh? The REAL Mexican? Romeo, listen to me. The Tooth Fairy and the Fairy Godmother and all the other pinche American lies you think are so real, they don’t belong to you. And Carolyn, with her little fanny hiding under a short skirt, you think she’s real? In Mexico, they know what women are really like. La Llorona.

ROMEO
You know, you’re full of —

BENNY
The first time you see her, she’s young and beautiful. Like your Carolyn. And you give it to her, ¿que no? Because she wants it too. But then, Romeo, women turn on you. They wrinkle and get fat. They lose their hair. And their teeth. Even their voice.

ROMEO
¡Caramba, mano!

BENNY
And then, they begin to smell. Like old wallpaper and soap. And then they kill your children and take your money. And babosos like you let them.

ROMEO
You’re crazy, you know that?

BENNY
Because you’re in love. Forever in love. Only to the grave, mano. And even then, you’ll look up and see an old woman, La Llorona, planting flowers on your chest. Check it out, man. Women get old quick. And they’re old much longer than they’re young.

ROMEO
That’s nothing but babosadas. [31]

BENNY
You don’t like La Llorona? Chill. She’s just a fairy tale. A Mexican fairy tale.

ROMEO
Benito, listen to me. Just for a moment.

BENNY
I’ll listen … But you remember this: aunque te cases, even though you get married, mira lo que haces, watch your back. Now let’s eat.

ROMEO
Benito, I don’t like it here. This house. These people. They don’t want us. When my mother and me came to this country, we were crawling, primo. Full of guilt and shame. Why is it a sin to try and make your life better, Benito?

BENNY
You’re here. You want a medal?

ROMEO
I’m going to pay for it. I know it. I know it.

BENNY
Snap out of it! You’re not the first one to crawl over. And you sure as hell ain’t gonna be the last. And I’m here for you, primo. I’m here for you!

ROMEO
Chale.

BENNY
No matter what.

ROMEO
Bueno. Dios me va a cuidar. God brought me here. And whatever He wants, what He wants, will happen, ¿que no? (beat) Where’s the beers?

BENNY
¡Ándale!

BENNY and ROMEO mingle. [32]

Scene 9

JULIAN, JULIET, RUBEN, and MARIA enter. JULIAN is dressed as an Argentine “gaucho” or cowboy. MARIA is dressed like a French maid. JULIET is dressed like a fairy tale princess. RUBEN is dressed like a pirate.

JULIAN
Ruben?

RUBEN
Yes, sir?

JULIAN
Look at the two of you. The American Dream! Keep her in line. If you know what I mean.

RUBEN
Yes, sir.

JULIET
Don’t mind Dad. He’s into fantasy.

RUBEN
Actually, I like fantasy too, Jules. I’m proud of you. You look beautiful.

JULIET
Is that all you can say?

RUBEN
You want more? You want me to say all the other women here are dogs compared to you?

JULIET
Ruben, that’s not —

JULIAN
Everybody! Eat! Drink! Dance! Anybody who doesn’t dance has flat feet. Or, as we say in Spanish, they have corns.

Music plays. Everyone dances to soft rock. [33]

JULIET (to a passing WAITER)
White wine? Thanks.

JULIAN
Manuel? Bring more ice. Maria? Open the window. Everybody dance!

BENNY, swashbuckling like Zorro, backs into JULIET, causing her to spill wine on her dress.

JULIET
Oh, God! Look what you’ve done!

BENNY
It’s white wine. Who’s gonna notice?!

JULIET
I have to do something. Maria?!

ROMEO stops a WAITER as he rushes past him.

ROMEO
Oye —

WAITER
Yes, sir?

ROMEO
Digame —

WAITER
You speak Spanish?

ROMEO
Soy de Michoacán, hombre.

WAITER
¡Ay, Michoacán, que lindo!

TOMMY enters.

ROMEO (referring to JULIET)
Who is that chamaca over there? The one in white?

WAITER
¿Quién sabe? I was jobbed in for the night. [34]

ROMEO
She’s beautiful, ¿que no? Like a saint. Surrounded by fools and freaks.

WAITER
If you say so. Want another drink?

ROMEO
God never showed me beauty. Not until tonight.

TOMMY (to ROMEO)
Is that a fact, wetback?

ROMEO
What?

TOMMY
Who let you into my uncle’s house?

ROMEO
Tommy. Chill. I’m not going to do anything.

JULIAN
Tommy? What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?

TOMMY
Did you invite this wetback here tonight?

JULIAN
What wetback?

TOMMY
This one. Standing right in front of you!

JULIAN
Oh, come on, Tommy, you’re the one causing all the trouble.

TOMMY
But, Julian —

JULIAN
Settle down, Tommy. I don’t want a scene.

TOMMY
But, Julian, you can’t let vagrants — [35]

JULIAN
Are you high? I told you never to come to my house stoked —

TOMMY
“Stoked”?! I’m not “stoked”!

JULIAN
A lot of this stuff is cut bad. You know that! (beat) Manuel! More food!

TOMMY
I don’t have to take this.

JULIAN
You’re in my house. Act like family.

TOMMY
Family? We ain’t got no family!

JULIAN
Tommy, get a grip. Or take it outside. Okay?

TOMMY
No prob, Julian. If total strangers … wetbacks … are more important to you, then you can take your yuppie stuff and shove it.

JULIAN
This is my house, Tommy. STOP THIS. RIGHT NOW.

TOMMY
Hey. I’m outta here.

(to ROMEO) I’ll get you, man.

TOMMY exits.

BENNY (to JULIET)
You know, if you just dance, your dress would dry up.

JULIET (disgusted)
What!?

BENNY
You know, drip dry? [37]

JULIET
Excuse me.

ROMEO
Señorita, don’t mind my, uh, my friend here, he’s just a firecracker —

BENNY
I’m a wisecracker, vato, not a firecracker.

(to JULIET) And this guy here ain’t my friend. He’s my primo. Cheerio, sweetheart.

ROMEO (taking her hand)
¿Señorita? Con su permiso.

JULIET (removing her hand)
I’m sorry. I don’t speak Spanish.

ROMEO
It’s simply a courtesy.

He takes JULIET’s hand again.

Encantado de conocerle.

He tries to kiss her hand.

JULIET (removing her hand again)
You shouldn’t speak like that. I mean, in Spanish.

ROMEO
Then I’ll be quiet.

JULIET
Yes?

ROMEO
And with only this — one finger barely resting on yours, I’ll introduce my humble self —

JULIET (getting into it)
With no words. Remember?

ROMEO
Of course. Listen. (pause) The room is quiet. (pause) And this (taking her hand firmly) needs absolutely no translation.

JULIET
But if we continue touching hands —

ROMEO
Not anymore. We’ll switch.

JULIET
Yes?

ROMEO
And kiss.

He kisses her on the cheek.

Your cheek is softer than your hand. Gracias, señorita, for this most silent introduction.

JULIET
Now mine.

ROMEO
Yes?

JULIET tries to kiss ROMEO on the cheek, but at the last minute he turns his face towards her.

JULIET
Oh.

ROMEO
Yes?

JULIET
Hello.

She kisses him lightly on the mouth.

ROMEO
¡A sus órdenes!

He kisses her back fully. [38]

I only go where my heart tells me.

JULIET
Usually a faux pas, don’t you think?

ROMEO
A fo what?

JULIET
A thing. A beautiful … quick … impromptu … kind of thing.

ROMEO and JULIET kiss, this time both participating fully.

MARIA
¡NIÑA!

JULIET
Oh God. It’s Maria.

ROMEO
I want to talk to you.

MARIA
¡Niña!

ROMEO
Where?

JULIET
I don’t know. Outside.

ROMEO
Where outside?

JULIET
In the backyard. Later. Near the magnolia.

ROMEO
In México, we call magnolias “yoloxochitl.” Flowers of the heart.

JULIET
That’s nice. [39]

MARIA
¡NIÑA!

ROMEO
When?

JULIET
What?

ROMEO
What time? What time will I see you?

JULIET
I don’t know.

ROMEO
Tell me.

JULIET
Later. Later.

ROMEO
Ok! Later.

JULIET (to MARIA)
¿Sí?

MARIA
Your father wants you.

ROMEO
You do speak Spanish.

JULIET
A little. Sometimes Maria talks to me in Spanish. Ciao.

ROMEO
What!?

JULIET
Just kidding. Adiós.

ROMEO (to MARIA)
Who is that girl? [40]

MARIA
She lives here, manito. And you are a guest in her father’s home.

ROMEO
She lives in this house?

MARIA
I have taken care of her since she was born.

ROMEO
She’s rich. That’s not good.

MARIA
The guapo who gets her, manito, is going to get a lot of money. But also a lot of love. She’s a flower.

ROMEO
Yoloxochitl.

MARIA
A beautiful flower on this earth.

ROMEO
And her name?

BENNY
Hey, primo!

MARIA
Juliet. Juliet Bosquet. To you.

BENNY (pulling out a flask)
Look what I found.

ROMEO
¡Ay Benito!

BENNY
What’s wrong?

ROMEO
I’ve sinned. [41]

BENNY
Again?

ROMEO
Let’s get out of here.

BENNY
Right now?

ROMEO
Right now. (pause) Something bad is going to happen. I know it.

They exit.

Scene 10

Moments later.

JULIET
Maria? That good looking guy who just left? He kissed me.

MARIA
¿De veras?

JULIET
And I don’t even know who he is.

MARIA
Your cousin Tommy knows him. He’s illegal.

JULIET
But he speaks English.

MARIA
He’s still illegal.

JULIET
And a gentleman. The only one at this party, really. To me anyway. (beat) Illegal. That ruins everything.

MARIA
I saw him kissing you. Puro mexicano. [42]

JULIET
He told me the name for magnolias. In Spanish, I think.

MARIA
You better forget him fast, mija.

JULIET
But it’s too late. I told him —

MARIA
Told him what?

JULIET
Nothing.

MARIA
If your father heard any of this, who knows what he would do?

JULIAN and RUBEN are off to the side, toasting.

JULIAN
To law school!

RUBEN
To life AFTER law school!

JULIET
Happy Halloween! Look at them. Two cowboys. From different continents. Giving orders. Always right.

MARIA
Men are like that, mija.

JULIET
They don’t have to be. Do they, Maria? (pause) Do they?

MARIA
In this world, mija, some things never change.

RUBEN
Good night, Jules. Call me?

JULIET
Good night, Ruben. (pause) Thanks for coming. [43]

RUBEN exits.

I hate Dad’s parties! Especially this one!

MARIA
Well, mija, in a few minutes, it will be midnight. Halloween will be over and Día de los Muertos —

JULIET
Day of the Dead.

MARIA
Will begin again. Tomorrow morning we’ll celebrate with pan de muerto for breakfast —

JULIET
And then we’ll eat candy skulls all day!

MARIA
Asina.

MANUEL (entering and addressing MARIA)
Pssst!

MARIA
But now, corazón, it’s late. You should go to bed.

JULIET
Yeah. And dream of flowers. Flowers of the heart. Good night, Maria.

She exits.

MARIA
Buenas noches, mija.

Scene 11

JULIAN (singing, drunk)
“THE PARTY’S OVER. IT’S TIME TO CALL IT A DAY.”

He clutches at MARIA.

How about a tequila in my room? [44]

MARIA
¡No, Julián!

JULIAN
Manuel, good night.

MANUEL
Sí.

He doesn’t leave.

JULIAN
Manuel, now. Good night now. NOW.

MANUEL
¡Ay! ¡Sí, señor!

He doesn’t leave.

JULIAN
“THE PARTY’S OVER. IT’S TIME TO CALL IT A DAY.” Maria, come with me.

MARIA
But, Julián. I have to lock the house.

JULIAN
Later. You’ll do that later. Later.

MARIA (reluctantly)
Bueno, Julián.

JULIAN
Now. Which way?

MARIA
This way, Julián, this way

JULIAN and MARIA exit. A CALAVERA carrying marigolds appears from the direction in which they exited.

MANUEL
Buenas noches.

CALAVERA #1
Buenas. [45]

He drops a flower. Voices are heard offstage.

VOICES
Trick or treat! Trick or treat!

Another CALAVERA, also carrying marigolds, appears.

CALAVERA #2
Saludos.

MANUEL
Welcome — both of you — to the house of Don Bosquet.

CALAVERA #1
Welcome to Day of the Dead.

As MANUEL exits, another CALAVERA appears, also carrying marigolds.

CALAVERA #3
Bienvenidos a todos.

OFFSTAGE VOICES
Trick or treat! Trick or treat!

ALL CALAVERAS
¡Bienvenidos!

As the CALAVERAS follow MANUEL, they drop marigolds behind them.

CALAVERA #1
Bienvenidos a Los Ángeles.

CALAVERA #2
A la casa Bosquet.

CALAVERA #3
¡A Día de los Muertos!

ALL CALAVERAS
¡Salud!

They exit. [46]

Scene 12

November 1st, 12:30 a.m. The CORRIDISTA enters.

CORRIDISTA

Ahora viene el amor
Y yo no sé qué hacer
Yo ya no quiero pelear
Pero a ella no la debo tener …

Lights rise on JULIET, pacing back and forth.

JULIET
I don’t know what to do.

CORRIDISTA

Ahora viene el amor
Castigo de mi corazón
Soy de abajo
Pero ella es mi liberación …

Lights rise on ROMEO and BENNY, roughhousing.

ROMEO
She’ll be there! She told me.

BENNY
You’re crazy, man!

JULIET
I’ll do it! I have to.

CORRIDISTA

Ahora viene el amor
Pa’ uno que no debo tocar …
Pero yo no me muevo de aquí
Porque tengo derecho a vivir!
¡Ahora sí!

ROMEO (seeing JULIET)
She looks like a saint, Benny. [47]

BENNY
¡Caramba, Romeo! For someone who says he’s blind, you sure got your sights fixed now, mano.

JULIET
Where is he?

BENNY
Later, primo. I ain’t gonna sleep in no bushes while you get laid.

(to the CORRIDISTA) Órale. Good costume.

BENNY exits.

Scene 13

ROMEO
Julieta.

JULIET
You’re here.

ROMEO
Under the moon, you’re more beautiful than the moon herself. I never told you my name. It’s Romeo.

JULIET
Romeo. Spanish.

ROMEO
Or Romeo.

ROMEO and JULIET kiss.

MARIA (offstage)
¡Ay no, Julián!

JULIET (breaking away)
You shouldn’t have come. [48]

ROMEO
Tonight, Julieta, I would find you, even if all the lights in your house were dark. Even if all the lights in the neighborhood were dark. Even if all the lights in the whole city were dark.

JULIAN (offstage)
One more tequila. Just one!

JULIET
I’m sorry, it’s not a good time. (beat) Do you know my cousin Tommy?

ROMEO
El loco Tommy? Everybody knows him.

JULIET
What do you call him?

ROMEO
El loco Tommy. Crazy Tommy.

JULIET
Sorry. I don’t speak Spanish.

ROMEO
That’s funny. You look —

JULIET
Spanish?

ROMEO
Mexican. You look Mexican.

JULIET
Maybe. But I still don’t speak it.

ROMEO
Tommy doesn’t scare me.

JULIET
He’s wild. He does things without thinking. And he doesn’t care —

ROMEO
Cálmate, preciosa. Don’t let all the hate in Tommy’s sad life scare you. [49]

JULIET
But you don’t know —

ROMEO
Forget Tommy. And think of us. The night is giving us shelter and La Luna, Our Lady the Moon, has stopped for us, see?

He tries to kiss her.

¡Ay, Julieta, debemos de gozar —

JULIET (pushing him away gently)
What did Tommy call you? A wetback?

ROMEO
Yeah, that’s what he called me.

JULIET
And are you?

ROMEO (beat)
Yeah. I am.

JULIET
You’re a Mexican, but you speak English.

ROMEO
And you’re American, but you look Mexican.

JULIET
Touché.

ROMEO
Asina.

JULIET
My father never wanted me to learn Spanish.

ROMEO
Why not? It’s beautiful.

MARIA (offstage)
One minute, Julián! [50]

JULIET
That’s not my mother. It’s Maria. Our maid.

ROMEO (caressing her hair)
I talked to her. She loves you like a mother.

JULIET
I know. But she’s not my real mother.

ROMEO
And where is she? Your real mother?

JULIET
Somewhere. Not here.

ROMEO
A mother and a daughter should —

JULIET
What did you call the magnolias? In Spanish, I mean.

ROMEO
Yoloxochitl. But it’s not Spanish. It’s Nahuatl, the language they spoke in Mexico before it was Mexico.

JULIET
You know a lot about it then, don’t you? About Mexico.

ROMEO
Julieta, I was born there.

JULIET
A wetback. Really?

ROMEO
Yes. But this is where I live. But I will always carry México with me, Julieta. Because she’s beautiful. More beautiful than you are.

JULIET (pleased with his passion and charm)
Oh yeah? How often do you go there?

ROMEO
My mother and I visit sometimes, but it’s dangerous — [51]

JULIET
Because you might not be able to come back?

ROMEO
Not me. I can fake being American. You believed me.

JULIET
Yes. I did.

ROMEO
But my mother can’t.

JULIET
She’s illegal?

ROMEO
As illegal as me.

JULIAN (offstage)
¡María, ven aquí! María, don’t leave!

ROMEO
And your mother, Julieta? Where is she?

MARIA enters, watching ROMEO and JULIET from the shadows.

JULIET
She wasn’t like my father. She was younger. She never got the education he did.

ROMEO
Julieta —

JULIET
She had an accent, I think. And she was pretty but not light enough. She was too dark, I think, not right for Dad’s bank career. So he divorced her.

ROMEO
Julieta …

They kiss.

… mi amor y mi corazón.

They kiss again.

I’m alive, Julieta! For the first time in this country, I’m alive! [52]

MARIA steps out of the shadows, wearing a faded house robe and frayed slippers.

MARIA
Julieta. Come inside.

JULIET
Oh God, she’s here.

ROMEO
I adore you, worship you —

MARIA
If your father —

JULIET (to ROMEO)
Don’t go. I’ll be right back.

ROMEO
¡Dios mío! My mother says that things arranged at night always go bad. But if this is wrong, may God strike me dead!

MARIA
This is dangerous, mija.

JULIET
But Maria —

MARIA
No, Julieta. No.

JULIET
One minute. Just one more minute.

MARIA
Bueno, corazón. Just one.

JULIET
Romeo, you’re wonderful. I think I could love you.

ROMEO (taking her in his arms)
Not as much as I could love you. [53]

MARIA
Julieta.

JULIET
I should go.

ROMEO
Julieta, I promise. By Doña Luna, Our Lady the Moon, and all the moonlight you see around us —

JULIET
You’re amazing!

ROMEO
— to love you.

JULIET
Totally amazing.

ROMEO
So let’s get married.

Beat.

JULIET
When?

ROMEO
¡Dios mío!

Beat.

JULIET
Say something!

Beat.

ROMEO
Tomorrow.

JULIET
When?! When tomorrow?!

ROMEO
I’ll tell you tomorrow. [54]

MARIA
¡CARAMBA, NIÑA! Your father!

JULIET
Good night, Romeo. Until tomorrow.

ROMEO
Hasta mañana. (pause) ¿Julieta?

JULIET
Yes?

ROMEO
May Doña Luna —

JULIET
The moon.

ROMEO
— fall on your eyes.

JULIET
And help us both rest. (pause) You’re wonderful.

She exits.

ROMEO
Marriage?! ¡Dios mío! I have to see the priest.

Beat.

Gracias, Señor. I am blessed.

He exits. [55]

Scene 14

November 1st, dawn. FATHER LAWRENCE’s garden. It’s a hydroponic garden with water tubes and neon lights shining on grids of leafy plants. A CALAVERA watches nearby.

FATHER LAWRENCE
My little rainforest, look at you, raising your heads to the light. Every one of you messengers of God. Even though we may not know yet what your message could be. But, with God’s mercy and the help of science, we will find your powers. And turn you into medicine. To cure the sick, the wounded, and the dying. Quiet and patient as you are, your power is still a force unknown. Some of you can make us well, but others can make us sick. And some of you can even kill. The Earth is frightening and vicious. Like Kali. But also sweet. Like the Virgin herself. And it is up to us, men and women, to choose which is which. Without study, we are merely animals, unable to exercise the free will given to us by God.

ROMEO (entering)
Buenas noches, padre.

The CALAVERA exits.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Romeo, it’s not even dawn. Where have you been?

ROMEO
Padrecito, I have trespassed. I went where I wasn’t wanted.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Did you?

ROMEO
And I met someone I never should have met. But still, padrecito, we met, and now only you can cure us. We’re sick, padre, sick with love.

FATHER LAWRENCE
And Carolyn?

ROMEO
Carolyn? [56]

FATHER LAWRENCE
How does she feel about all this?

ROMEO
I forgot about her already. But this one. ¡Ay, padre!

FATHER LAWRENCE
¡Ay, Romeo!

ROMEO
You could cure us in ten minutes.

FATHER LAWRENCE
What the hell are you talking about?

ROMEO
I want to get married.

FATHER LAWRENCE
To who?!

ROMEO
Juliet. Juliet Bosquet.

FATHER LAWRENCE
The banker’s daughter? ¡Ay, no, Romeo! She’s not the girl for you!

ROMEO
But I love her. And she loves me. And all we need is the blessed sacrament of marriage.

FATHER LAWRENCE
But Romeo —

ROMEO
Father, we kissed.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Yes, yes, of course.

ROMEO
When she was in my arms, Father, I could feel her breathing. Between my hands. [57]

FATHER LAWRENCE
My God.

ROMEO
And afterwards —

FATHER LAWRENCE
Afterwards? After what?

ROMEO
When she looked up at me.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Up?

ROMEO
I had the strength —

FATHER LAWRENCE
Stop! That’s enough. I don’t want to hear another word.

ROMEO
Father, we didn’t do that!

FATHER LAWRENCE
Not yet! But, but I can tell … you’re more than ready … to run down the wrong path … oh yes!

ROMEO
Yes!

FATHER LAWRENCE
No!

ROMEO
To marriage. How can that be wrong? I want to get married, Father. Today. This morning.

FATHER LAWRENCE
You can’t get married today. And you know why. Better than I do. It’s the Day of the Dead. Not the time to begin new things. [58]

ROMEO
But padrecito, God brought us together. And now we want to be married in His eyes. And follow His will.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Well … maybe … but …

ROMEO
Julieta and me, I swear to you, padre, we will love each other forever. May God strike me dead if I ever stop loving her.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Holy Mary Mother and Joseph, you’re in a bad way!

ROMEO
Father, I am so full of love.

FATHER LAWRENCE
You don’t have to convince me. I see it.

ROMEO
I think God brought Juliet into my life for a purpose.

FATHER LAWRENCE
And what might that purpose be?

ROMEO
As a test. Father, she is the only good thing that has ever happened to me in this hard country.

FATHER LAWRENCE
¡Ay, Romeo! It hurts me to hear you say that. America wasn’t always like this. So full of hate. There was a time, long before you were born, when love filled us all. We marched. We felt strong. United. “¡El pueblo! ¡Unido! ¡Jamás será vencido!“ Yes, I chanted in Spanish! So many of us were happy then. And confident. And proud. We were very proud.

ROMEO
Yes, Father?

FATHER LAWRENCE
But today everyone has forgotten how to be patient. Everybody is against everything: taxes, regulations, law, and order. There are many — too many — [59] who think the only time the government hears them is when they bomb and kill. It’s senseless! Senseless! Look at these plants, Romeo. From the rainforest. One of the most delicate habitats on earth. We’re killing them daily. Why? How can we kill something given us to us by God, before we even know why he gave it to us? Before we find out what goodness might be inside of them?

ROMEO
So you’ll do it, Father?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Everything is growing beyond us now. Ozone layers, shrinking rainforests, nuclear wastes that we don’t know what the hell to do with. All of our precious God given potential is slipping. Because we no longer love. We no longer respect.

ROMEO
So you’ll do it? This morning?

FATHER LAWRENCE
This morning?

ROMEO
The marriage!

FATHER LAWRENCE
Oh yes, the marriage. God listens. I know he does. But even so, sometimes we need to push Him a little. You’re both from good Mexican families … even if Julian —

ROMEO
Father, you said it yourself, how can love be bad?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Your mind is set?

ROMEO
I will never love anyone else the way I love her. Father, she is beautiful.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Love. It always begins in young men’s eyes. But then it moves quickly to other places. [60]

ROMEO
So you’ll do it? This morning?

FATHER LAWRENCE
This business of Chicano fighting Chicano has to end. Yes.

ROMEO
You’ll do it? Yes? Yes?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Yes. Yes, yes. This morning I’ll do it. But now you should go. It’s dawn. I have mass in fifteen minutes.

ROMEO
Thank you, padrecito, thank you.

FATHER LAWRENCE
¿Romeo?

ROMEO
Yes, Father?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Go straight home. The streets are not safe. For you. Or anybody.

He exits.

ROMEO
Sure, Father.

Scene 15

November 1st, 6 a.m. Loud street sounds rise. MANUEL enters.

MANUEL
Dime, joven, por favor —

ROMEO
You again? What are you doing out here?

MANUEL
I’m working, mijo. What do you think? [61]

A trick or treater, in drag, steps out of the shadows.

DRAG TRICK–OR–TREATER
Compañero, trick or treat!

ROMEO
¡Caramba! You’re old enough to be my sister.

DRAG TRICK–OR–TREATER
¡Caramba! I AM your sister.

The DRAG TRICK-OR-TREATER exits.

BENNY (stepping out of the shadows)
What’s the matter, Romeo?

ROMEO
Benny! You scared me!

BENNY
I scared you? Haven’t you ever seen a boy toy before?

ROMEO
Chale. Sure. The streets, mano, are full of everything.

BENNY
You’re awfully relaxed, chulito.

ROMEO
I’m just tired, primo.

BENNY
Why are you tired? Come on, you can tell me. I keep chismes to myself.

ROMEO
Like hell you do.

BENNY
So, how’s it hanging? Loose? Real loose? How loose?

ROMEO
What are you talking about, Benny? [62]

BENNY
Did you give it to her?

ROMEO
No! I didn’t touch her. She deserves something good. Not a roll in her backyard.

BENNY
I called you last night. Your mother said you didn’t come in.

ROMEO
I was busy.

BENNY
El loco Tommy called too.

ROMEO
What does he want?

BENNY
He wants to mess with you.

ROMEO
Yeah, right.

BENNY
Yeah. For sure. But don’t worry. I told him you don’t need any help when it comes to messing yourself over.

ROMEO
¿Qué te pica, hombre? I went to the pinche party like you wanted.

BENNY
He wants to kill you, man.

ROMEO
I don’t think so. Because looking for me would take too much time away from his “extracurricular drug activities.”

BENNY
I’m telling you, he has it out for us, primo. [63]

ROMEO
So what? Lots of people don’t like us.

BENNY
Yeah. (beat) But someday, someday, I’m gonna set him straight.

ROMEO
Hey, primo, the Bosquets, are they Mexican?

BENNY
Yeah. I mean, I THINK they are.

ROMEO
Old man Bosquet doesn’t live with his wife.

BENNY
Yeah. Instead he’s got a maid. Whoo! We all need maids sometimes.

ROMEO
And Tommy is completely loco. And none of them, even the old man, talks with an accent. And they don’t live in the barrio. So I’m wondering, are they Mexican? Really Mexican?

BENNY
To the bone, mano. To the bone.

MARIA enters.

MARIA
Romeo, al fin.

BENNY
Another trick or treater.

ROMEO
Buenas noches, María.

MARIA
I need to speak with you. In private.

BENNY
No treat, I guess. Just a trick. Hey, primo, don’t give her what nobody else got tonight. [64]

(to MARIA) Buenas noches, señora. Ten cuidado que no te lo comas entero.

MARIA
¡Sangrón! ¡Malcriado! ¡Y cabrón!

BENNY
Hey, Romeo. She’s a Mexican. A REAL Mexican.

(to MARIA) Mucho gusto.

He exits.

Scene 16

MARIA
Juliet wanted me to find you. Pero, I want to tell you something. Yo te conozco, mosco. La niña tiene honra, m’entiendes?

ROMEO
Everybody’s out to get me!

MARIA
All I’m saying is, she’s a good girl. Treat her with respect.

ROMEO
I want to marry her, señora.

MARIA
¡Híjole! Marry! That’s a very nice word.

ROMEO
I saw the priest last night. Tell Julieta to come this morning for confession, and afterwards he said he’d marry us.

MARIA
This morning? You gotta be kidding. It’s Día de los Muertos.

ROMEO
¿Y qué? They say the dead do everything the living do. They even fall in love and marry. [65]

MARIA
Yeah. Love never dies.

ROMEO
And tonight, María, you’ll help us? It’s our wedding night, tú sabes?

MARIA
You’re broke.

ROMEO
Sí. No tengo dinero.

MARIA
For the poor, the only wealth is love.

Scene 17

November 1st, 8 a.m. Lights rise on JULIET in her bathrobe.

JULIET
Maria promised to return in half an hour. Maybe she couldn’t find him.

MARIA enters.

What’s wrong? You look sad.

MARIA
I stopped to eat.

JULIET
Good.

MARIA
And then I saw Romeo.

JULIET
And? (pause) Maria?

MARIA
And now, I have to rest.

JULIET
But what did he say?! [66]

MARIA
It’s a jungle out there. Even in the morning.

JULIET
Maria! What did he say!!!?

MARIA
Can you go to confession with Father Lawrence in one hour?

JULIET
Yes … but … Maria, does he still want to, you know, get married?

MARIA
Well, after confession, mija —

JULIET
Maria!!!!

MARIA
After confession, he said the priest would marry you.

JULIET
Yes!

She throws off her robe, revealing a white outfit underneath.

I knew it!

MARIA
Look at you! All ready and excited! You better get to the church, honey!

JULIET
And then Romeo will come. Maria? And spend the night?

MARIA
Of course.

JULIET
Without Dad knowing? Maria, please, you have to help us.

MARIA
Of course, I will help you. Both of you.

(embracing JULIET) Julieta. Mija. I have always loved you like my own daughter. I know you even better than my own daughter. [67]

JULIET
Thank you, Maria. Thank you.

MARIA
And I want you to have everything, mija. Everything.

Scene 18

November 1st, 9 a.m. Lights rise on FATHER LAWRENCE’s garden. ROMEO, still in his painter’s whites, has a red sash around his waist. FATHER LAWRENCE has on formal vestments.

FATHER LAWRENCE
This morning, thanks to God, we are filled with happiness. No matter what the future brings.

JULIET and MARIA enter. JULIET runs into ROMEO’s arms.

An angel has arrived. Her feet hardly touching the ground.

JULIET
Father Lawrence. Good morning. And Romeo. Buenos días.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Ah! You speak Spanish now?

JULIET
I will.

ROMEO (placing a rebozo around JULIET’s shoulders)
Mi paloma, mi sol, y mi alma. Bless us with your holy ceremony, Father, and then death itself can do anything it wants.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Thinking of death, Romeo? At such a happy moment?

ROMEO
Why not? In México we have a saying: “Death is always around the corner.” But soon, padrecito, with your help, I can die. And in dying say that she was mine. [68]

FATHER LAWRENCE
You Mexicans, please forgive me, always get so emotional.

ROMEO and JULIET kiss, as if forever.

In the United States, you should learn to be more moderate … your love will last longer if you take it a little bit slower …

ROMEO and JULIET are now locked into a firm embrace.

… we’re young for such a short period of time … I think we should begin. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost …

MANUEL enters.

MARIA (to MANUEL)
Ay, Manuel, look at her, the beautiful bride! She’s a wildflower searching for love.

MANUEL
Yes, and marrying on the day we honor dead children.

JULIET
Yes. I will. I mean, I do.

MANUEL (beckoning offstage)
¡Compadres! ¡Vengan! Come to the wedding!

CALAVERAS begin to appear.

(to CALAVERAS) Compadres, a wedding on Día de los Chicos! With this wedding, they celebrate our deaths.

ROMEO (affectionately imitating JULIET)
I will. I mean, I do.

MANUEL
These two children are making vows that will last forever. And we, compadres, have two days to celebrate with them. Two days before we must die. Again.

The CALAVERAS stand around FATHER LAWRENCE, ROMEO, and JULIET, who do not notice them. Lights dim on the stage tableaux. Halloween is over, and El Día de los Chicos, the first Day of the Dead, set aside to honor dead children, has begun in Los Angeles once again. [69]

Scene 19

November 1st, noon. Lights rise on MANUEL on yet another errand. A police siren rises. MANUEL stops briefly, then keeps walking. BENNY steps out from the shadows.

BENNY
Is that you, Romeo?

MANUEL
Benny. Go home.

BENNY
What home? These days all everybody wants to do is fight, man.

MANUEL
Not me.

BENNY
Oh, yeah?

MANUEL
I used to be like that once. But not anymore.

BENNY
The whole barrio’s going at it. In the morning two guys. In the night, one. People get shot because their hair is too long. Other people get shot because they got the wrong color eyes. People are crazy.

From the shadows, a cigarette is lit, another incendiary moment.

TOMMY (stepping out from the shadows)
Hey, Benny? Let’s talk. Huh? A few words.

BENNY
A few words? Why not more? How about a couple of words, Tommy, and a couple of chingazos?

TOMMY
I could do that, Benny.

BENNY
Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation? [70]

TOMMY
You know, Benny, lots of people are wondering. You’re “friends” with Romeo, right? Real close?

BENNY
What do you mean “friends”? He’s my primo, you maricón —

TOMMY
Hey, man, take it easy. Everybody’s looking at us.

BENNY
Nobody sees nothing in the street.

ROMEO enters.

TOMMY
Hey Romeo, you know what I think?

BENNY
Forget him, man. You started messing with me.

TOMMY (to ROMEO)
Romeo, I think you’re a crook and a thief.

ROMEO
Tommy, I’m not a thief, man.

TOMMY
You break into people’s houses.

ROMEO
No! ¿Cómo se dice? I’m a “changed man.” Asina. You don’t know me.

TOMMY
Don’t try and make excuses, wetback. You broke into my uncle’s house and now you have to pay for it.

ROMEO
I’ve never hurt you, Tommy. And now we’re close. I can’t tell you why right now. But, believe me, I respect your name. As if it was mine.

BENNY
Primo, what the hell — [71]

A CALAVERA slides a switchblade towards BENNY.

CALAVERA
Ándale.

BENNY
Hey Tommy, vendido?

He picks up switchblade.

Let’s take it outside. You still owe me from yesterday, ¿recuerdas?

The CALAVERA slides another switchblade towards TOMMY.

CALAVERA
Ándale.

ROMEO
Benito —

TOMMY
I’m ready.

BENNY
Show me what you have, cabrón.

ROMEO
¡Benito! Don’t do this!

BENNY and TOMMY fight.

ROMEO
¡Benito! Stop! Tommy, Benito, the sergeant said he didn’t want no more fights. Tommy! ¡Benito! ¡Párense, pendejos!

TOMMY, under ROMEO’s arm, stabs BENNY.

BENNY
¡Ay! He got me! Why the hell did you get in the way?!

ROMEO
¡Ay, Benito! Don’t be angry.

BENNY
Look at this! [72]

ROMEO
You’re not that hurt.

BENNY
You’re wrong, primo. This is not a scratch.

TOMMY
Wetbacks. Scum. Bloodsuckers all of you.

TOMMY exits.

BENNY
Get me outta here.

ROMEO
Benito, you’re gonna be alright.

BENNY
Why the hell do you always screw me over? GET ME OUTTA HERE!

ROMEO (struggling with him)
Okay, primo. Okay.

BENNY
Put me down. ¡Ay! Put me down.

ROMEO
Okay, primo, Benito, okay.

BENNY (looking at the wound in his chest)
It’s not too big. Smaller than a gunshot. But just as deadly. ¿Romeo?

He tries to laugh.

Romeo, you know what? Tomorrow I’m gonna be a dead man.

ROMEO
Benito, don’t say that.

BENNY
Yeah! I’m gonna celebrate this Day of the Dead right! ¡Ay! Why did you get in the way?! I had him!

ROMEO
I was trying to help you. I wanted to stop it.

BENNY
I had him! You’re always at the wrong place at the wrong time.

ROMEO
¡Ay, Benito, por favor! I’m sorry!

A CALAVERA appears in front of BENNY, unseen by ROMEO who has his back to it.

BENNY (to CALAVERA)
You?

(to ROMEO) It’s time for you to leave, primo.

ROMEO
No! Benny!

BENNY
It’ll be alright ¡Ándale! The last thing you need, you crazy wetback, is the cops finding you with a dead body. Go. GO! ¡¡¡VETE!!!

ROMEO
¡Ay, Dios mío! ¿Por qué me viene este mal?

BENNY (staring at CALAVERA)
Is this it?

He dies.

ROMEO
Benny? ¿Benito? ¿Primo? Benito, you were hurt because of me.

The knife drops out of BENNY’s hand. ROMEO picks it up.

ROMEO
Tommy! Tommy! ¡Asesino! You killed my primo!

The knife falls out of ROMEO’s hand.

ROMEO
¡Ay, Julieta! Loving you has made me soft.

MANUEL
Romeo, run! Benny ran out of time, and now he’s looking for the thirteen heavens. [74]

ROMEO sees MANUEL as a calavera for the first time.

ROMEO
You’re Death, aren’t you? Coming for Benny. I feel it. Tezcatlipoca’s smoke is rising, covering us with the smell of death.

MANUEL
¡Pélate! Get out of here!

ROMEO (picking up the knife)
No. Not until Tommy sees the other side. Tommy! TOMMY!!!!

Scene 20

TOMMY enters.

ROMEO
You killed Benny. But his soul, man, his soul is flying, all around us. See it? It’s right over there.

TOMMY
Go back to the jungle, you stupid Indian.

ROMEO
Nobody goes to the thirteen heavens alone. One of us has to go with him.

TOMMY
You liked him so much, you go with him —

ROMEO
Or maybe you.

They fight. ROMEO stabs TOMMY. TOMMY falls into the arms of the CALAVERA, who places him on the ground.

CALAVERA
¡Romeo! ¡Vete! He’s dead.

ROMEO
Dios mío. [75]

CALAVERA
And López is going to blame it on you. Run. ¡Ándale! Con prisa!

ROMEO
The padre. I’ll go see the padrecito.

He exits.

Scene 21

A police siren rises, then fades. The CORRIDISTA enters, stands by the dead BENNY, and sings “Ranchera Sin Razón.”

CORRIDISTA (singing)

Mal destino en la vida es la cosa más terrible.
Es la cosa que nos hace siempre llorar.
¡Nacer pobre sin remedio!
¡Vivir solo sin cariño!
¡Aguantarse por toda la vida!
¡Es destino sin sentido¡
¡Es pecado sin razón!

CANDELARIA and SGT. LOPEZ enter.

CANDELARIA
¡Ay, Sargento López! Pobre Benito!

CORRIDISTA (singing)

¡Ay ya ya yay!
La vida es castigo.
¡Ay ya ya yay!
Pecado sin razón.

JULIAN enters.

JULIAN
Tony?

SGT. LOPEZ
What, Julian? [76]

JULIAN
I want an eye for an eye.

CANDELARIA
Sargento López, I’m sure it was self-defense.

JULIAN
It’s in the Bible, Tony.

CANDELARIA
But Romeo was defending the honor of his primo and his familia.

JULIAN
Tommy’s blood is ours, Tony. You go after him with everything you’ve got. Or else you’re gonna hear from me. Tony? TONY?

SGT. LOPEZ
All right!

(to the COP) Put out an all-points bulletin.

JULIAN
I want him out of the country —

SGT. LOPEZ
— where he belongs. I know, Julian. I know.

CANDELARIA
¡Ay, Sargento López! ¡Pobre Benito!

SGT. LOPEZ
Señora Martínez, let me help you.

CANDELARIA
In México, men kill for honor!

SGT. LOPEZ
Yes, Señora Martínez. But this is not México. It’s the United States.

CANDELARIA exits.

CORRIDISTA (singing)

To be born without a future is the worst thing
Life can offer. [77]
It’s the only thing that tears can never erase.
To be poor and have no options!
To live lonely with no kindness!
To accept injustice daily!
To live life without redemption!
Greater curse no man can claim!
¡Ay ya ya yay!
To live is to suffer!
¡Ay ya ya yay!
A curse no prayer can cure.

COP
Sgt. Lopez?

SGT. LOPEZ
Yeah?

COP
Should I call the wagon? Sir?

SGT. LOPEZ
Yeah. Call the wagon.

SGT. LOPEZ and the COP exit.

CORRIDISTA (singing)

¡Ay ya ya yay!
La vida es castigo.
¡Ay ya ya yay!
Pecado sin razón.

The stage is bare, except for the two dead bodies of TOMMY and BENNY. After a beat, TOMMY CALAVERA sits up and sees BENNY lying on the ground nearby.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Hey, Benny?

After a pause, BENNY CALAVERA answers.

BENNY CALAVERA (quietly)
What? [78]

TOMMY CALAVERA
I ain’t through with you yet. Get up.

BENNY CALAVERA (resigned)
Maldito.

He rises.

I’m ready.

The two men square off yet again, this time as calaveras. The CORRIDISTA strums the guitar once. [79]

ACT 2
Scene 1

November 1st, 6 p.m. Lights rise on JULIET.

JULIET
It’s dark. Six o’clock. Tonight the moon, what did he call it? Doña Luna. Our Lady the Moon can’t rise soon enough. Oh, Romeo. Romeo. Come. I’m married, but not yet a woman. Married but still so unmarried.

MARIA (entering, with flowers)
Julieta. These are for you.

JULIET
From Romeo? No, Ruben. Maria. What’s wrong?

MARIA
He’s dead.

JULIET
Romeo?

MARIA
Your father saw it too. Right on the street.

JULIET
Romeo?

MARIA
Tommy. And Romeo, el pelón, is hiding.

JULIET
Romeo killed Tommy?

MARIA
With a knife.

JULIET
Romeo?

MARIA
He’s no better than a dog, this secret husband of yours. [80]

JULIET
Maria, no! You’re wrong. Tommy’s always been crazy, but Romeo, Romeo has sense. Maria, he’s smart, he tells me things —

MARIA
Men lie, Julieta. They say things just for show. Even your Romeo.

JULIET
No. Not Romeo. He’s young, but not a murderer.

MARIA
Yes, he is. And hiding. Like a crook, a pelón.

JULIET
What is that word you’re using, “pelón”?

MARIA
A troublemaker, fast talker, lowlifer. A loser, Julieta. A loser.

JULIET
No! Not Romeo! Maria, I know him. I have to speak with him.

MARIA
He killed your cousin.

JULIET
He’s my husband! Maria, Romeo is hiding? Because of murder? With a knife?

MARIA
This house, Julieta, is cursed. This morning, we ran to the church. Like school girls. And now …

JULIET
I want you to go find him —

MARIA
I can’t.

JULIET
Maria! Do it! Do you hear me? DO IT.

MARIA (shocked)
¡Julieta! [81]

JULIET
Bring me my husband. Give him back this ring. I won’t wear it again until I speak with him. Now. Do it now.

MARIA (taking the ring)
A wife … and a señora. It happens so quickly.

JULIET
Go.

MARIA
Sí, señora. (pause) Sí, señora.

MARIA exits.

Scene 2

Lights rise on FATHER LAWRENCE’s garden.

FATHER LAWRENCE
¿Romeo? Bad luck seems to follow you like a dog, chamaco. (beat) I have a message. From Sgt. Lopez.

ROMEO
He’s related to Tommy. He wants to kill me.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Lopez doesn’t want to kill you. But he does want you out of the country. Back in Mexico.

ROMEO
But, Father, I’ve lived here since I was ten! This is my country. Not Mexico.

FATHER LAWRENCE
But, Romeo, you and your mother came over —

ROMEO
Eight years ago! When I was a child!

FATHER LAWRENCE
You have to go back to Mexico. So what? It’s a big world out there. [82]

ROMEO
No, I have a life here now.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Romeo, you’re a murderer here. But if you leave, mijo, you’ll be able to have a better life.

ROMEO
But I want a better life here. Padrecito, people fly here from all over the world. And they’re not sent back. Political asylum — that’s what they get. There’s nothing for me in Mexico. What do you think I am? A pendejo who just crossed over?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Romeo, listen to me. I know you’re scared, and your heart is here in L.A. But right now, you’re out of balance.

ROMEO
Father, please.

FATHER LAWRENCE
But philosophy can change that. Romeo, hear me out. With philosophy will come peace. “Philo,” love, and “sofia,” wisdom, together make “philosofia,” wisdom with love, or love and wisdom. Either way —

ROMEO
Father!

FATHER LAWRENCE
Hear me out, mijo, hear me out! With philosophy you will be able to transform this adversity —

ROMEO
You know, sometimes you are so full of it.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Great! Close your ears.

ROMEO
What good are ears if “wise men” don’t know what the hell they’re talking about! [83]

FATHER LAWRENCE
You know what they’re saying on the streets about you? You’re an illegal two-bit punk, who killed another two-bit punk in broad daylight. And you did it with a knife. And then you ran. Romeo, you ran.

ROMEO
Father, you don’t know what happened out there. I saw death, Father. I saw it on the street. Right after Benny died.

FATHER LAWRENCE
You saw your future, mijo. Because right now, in this city, you’re free game. Dead meat.

ROMEO
Father, you don’t know how I’m suffering! Just married to Juliet. And even before embracing her for the first time, this? I killed him, Father. Tommy! I want to throw myself on the ground, Father. I want to beg God to kill me. I want to die. I want to die.

A loud knock is heard.

The cops!

Another loud knock is heard.

FATHER LAWRENCE
This house is God’s sanctuary. If it’s the police, I’ll talk to them. But be ready to run, mijo —

MARIA enters.

Maria, how can I help you?

MARIA
Where’s Romeo? ¡ROMEO!

FATHER LAWRENCE
Quiet! With that voice, you’ll wake the dead.

ROMEO
¿María? ¿Cómo está Julieta?

MARIA
¡Pelón! How do you think? You’ve broken her heart and scared her to death with this killing. [84]

ROMEO
Julieta thinks I’m a pelón? María, I wanted to make her my queen!

MARIA
And now she’s crying like a widow.

ROMEO
¡Julieta!

MARIA
She thinks the cops are going to cut you down on the street before she has a chance to see you one more time.

ROMEO
María, I defended Benito and his honor. But at the same time, I killed Julieta’s love?

MARIA
¡Pelón! You’ve brought her nothing but hate, when all she wanted was love.

ROMEO
Father, beg God to come and take me! I don’t want to live like this! I don’t want to live!

FATHER LAWRENCE
Hombre, listen to me! You just told us you defended Benito’s honor. Like a man. And before that, you were married. Like a man. So now act like a man.

MARIA notices FATHER LAWRENCE’s garden. She picks at some plants and smells them.

ROMEO
You’re right, Father. I’ll go. I’ll go. And disappear.

FATHER LAWRENCE
¡Romeo! Listen to me. Tommy wanted to kill you, and you killed him. God chose you to survive. And now Sgt. Lopez, who could arrest you, wants to deport you instead. Romeo, there is good in bad and bad in good. Go to your Julieta and comfort her. And then leave. Go to Tijuana. But do it tonight.

MARIA
One more day is all López will need to track you down. [85]

FATHER LAWRENCE
Romeo, go to Mexico. Tonight, mijo.

ROMEO
In México we say the only thing that is forever is death. I can come back. Eventually.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Of course you can.

ROMEO
I’ll go see Julieta. And then I’ll leave.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Tonight. Not tomorrow morning. Tonight, mijo.

ROMEO
Gracias, padrecito. Gracias.

FATHER LAWRENCE and ROMEO embrace. ROMEO exits.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Maria, what are you doing?

MARIA
I didn’t know you grew yerbas, Father. What do you do with them?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Keep them alive. It’s a hobby.

MARIA
Some of these plants grow in my country. Not here.

FATHER LAWRENCE
No. You’re mistaken. These are very rare plants. From endangered areas in the rainforest.

MARIA
You import them?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Of course not. People bring them in. For me. [86]

MARIA (chuckling)
Contrabando. Across international borders! And a priest!

FATHER LAWRENCE
Don’t laugh. I’m protecting them. These frail plants are the work of God.

Lights rise on ROMEO approaching JULIET’s house.

ROMEO
¿Julieta?

FATHER LAWRENCE
How can we kill something created by God? There may be a purpose, there MUST be a purpose for these frail plants that we don’t yet understand.

Lights rise on JULIET.

JULIET
You came.

ROMEO
Yoloxochitl. My flower. My love.

MARIA
Of course, Father. We have no right to destroy anything which God creates.

ROMEO and JULIET embrace.

Scene 3

ROMEO and JULIET exit, arm in arm. MANUEL strolls by, keeping guard.

Scene 4

Lights rise on JULIAN and RUBEN having drinks.

JULIAN
Sorry, but Juliet isn’t feeling well tonight. Tommy’s death was a big shock to her. [87]

RUBEN
I’m sure. You’ve kept her well protected.

JULIAN
Tommy always ran with the wrong crowd. But what could I do? His father’s gone — and it fell to me to keep track of him. I hope you don’t think, Ruben —

RUBEN
Can’t you contact him? Tommy’s father, I mean —

JULIAN
He’s in prison.

RUBEN
Oh.

JULIAN
For a felony.

RUBEN
I see.

JULIAN
He’s not coming out, Ruben. You understand?

RUBEN
Hey! Things happen! I understand.

JULIAN
You grow up around here, especially in the time when my brother and I were coming up —

RUBEN
Julian, it’s okay. Situations get out of control.

JULIAN
They keep him alive, but he might as well be dead.

RUBEN
All right. Okay. It’s okay.

JULIAN
I did everything I could to keep Juliet away from the street. Gangs. Guns. [88]

RUBEN
Julian, I still want to marry her.

JULIAN
But now I want to finish off that old life. I want it to die with Tommy. Every single remnant of it.

RUBEN
Okay, Julian. Okay.

JULIAN
What Juliet needs, Ruben, is what I’ve always given her — stability.

RUBEN
And so will I, Julian. So will I.

JULIAN
I did everything I could.

RUBEN
I should go, Julian.

JULIAN
Wait.

RUBEN
Yeah, Julian?

JULIAN
There’ll never be another embarrassment like this in our family again. I promise.

RUBEN
Of course.

They exit. [89]

Scene 5

November 2nd, 3 a.m. Lights rise on ROMEO and JULIET. The CORRIDISTA plays the guitar nearby.

JULIET
Don’t go!

ROMEO
I have to. The moon is setting.

JULIET
But it’s practically the middle of the night.

ROMEO
The moon is almost gone, Julieta. I have to go.

JULIET
No. Stay. You can stay.

ROMEO
Okay. I’ll stay. God, Julieta, with you I have lived!

(embracing her) Mi alma, talk to me. Tell me things.

JULIET
Are we going to see each other again?

ROMEO
Of course, paloma. Someday, we’re going to be viejitos, little old people, sitting in our chairs, with dry food on our chests. And we’re going to laugh, Julieta, about how we started. You and me. We’re going to laugh.

JULIET
We’re never going to be old. You look sad.

ROMEO
We’re both sad. Sadness makes the blood sink into the body. Un beso, y me voy. I have to go.

They kiss. [90]

JULIET
Romeo? No, Romeo. Your name is really Romeo.

ROMEO
Or Romeo.

They kiss again.

I’ll be back, Julieta. And when I return, I’ll never leave.

He kisses her.

Hasta luego, mi reina. My queen.

JULIET
Goodbye.

ROMEO
No. See you later. Hasta luego.

JULIET
Hasta luego.

ROMEO (pleased at her attempt at Spanish)
Ándale, reina.

He exits.

Scene 6

MARIA enters.

JULIET
He left.

MARIA
Good. It’s still dark. He’ll cross the border before day.

JULIET
Maria, what is it like to wake up with someone in the morning? After the sun is up? [91]

MARIA
Sometimes, niña, it’s like paradise. But now you should sleep. You’ve had a very long day.

JULIET
It’s still my wedding night. Maria, stay with me. Okay?

MARIA
Bueno, mija. Bueno.

JULIET
It’s like this with Dad, isn’t it?

MARIA
Go to sleep, mija.

JULIET
He comes and goes.

MARIA
Men are like that.

JULIET
I’m sorry, Maria. I’m sorry I said those terrible things that hurt you.

MARIA (embracing JULIET)
It’s all right, mija. It’s all right.

Scene 7

Moments later. Lights rise on ROMEO. At the same time, nearby in the shadows, a cigarette is lit, another incendiary moment.

ROMEO
Benny?

A CALAVERA steps out of the shadows, nearly colliding with ROMEO.

CALAVERA
Sorry to scare you, chamaco. It’s just that I’m in a little bit of a hurry. It’s the second Day of the Dead. [92]

ROMEO
So what?

CALAVERA
El Día de los Difuntos, the Day of the Dearly Departed Adults. Yesterday we honored dead children. Today we honor adults. Which one are you?

ROMEO
Get away from me.

They exit.

Scene 8

November 2nd, 7 a.m. JULIAN is fixing his tie, ready to go to work. JULIET enters.

JULIAN
Good morning. Still not feeling well?

JULIET
No.

JULIAN
Carrying on won’t bring Tommy back, you know. If you act too emotional, people will think you’re putting on a show.

JULIET
I’m not faking it.

JULIAN
I’m not saying you shouldn’t be upset. This punk who murdered Tommy, probably a gang member, is running around loose and fancy free.

JULIET
Who is that, Dad?

JULIAN
Romeo Martinez. That wetback who entered my house under false pretenses. [93]

JULIET
It was Halloween. Your big night to impress everyone. Everything was fine. Until Tommy showed up.

JULIAN
By the way, Tony thinks this Romeo went to TJ. He is a Mexican, after all. But TJ’s not a problem. A couple of guys in the neighborhood still owe me a favor.

JULIET
You’re going after him? It’s against the law.

JULIAN
Honey, sometimes, things are resolved better man to man. But don’t you worry about things like that. We should talk about other things. Like Ruben.

JULIET
What about Ruben?

JULIAN
He’s proposed, hasn’t he? And you’ve accepted, haven’t you?

JULIET
No, he hasn’t. And I wouldn’t accept right after Tommy was killed.

JULIAN
Tommy is never going to interfere in our family again.

JULIET
Dad, you’re planning a wake for him. Right here, in the house. A wake, followed by an engagement?

JULIAN
I have worked very hard, young lady, to find someone for you. And frankly, your behavior tells me that Ruben is better than you deserve.

JULIET
Dad!

JULIAN
You told me he was a good match!

JULIET
I didn’t say that. [94]

JULIAN
You did.

JULIET
I didn’t.

JULIAN
I heard you. I HEARD YOU SAY IT!

JULIET
No, Dad. No. You heard yourself say it.

JULIAN
Juliet, you’re not going to do better than Ruben —

JULIET
What?

JULIAN
He’s perfect. And he’s like us.

JULIET
Us?

JULIAN
Yes. Like us. But connected. With the right credentials, Juliet. The right friends. And he happens to love you.

JULIET
Dad, give me some time.

JULIAN
You think it has been easy being a mother and a father to you?

JULIET
You think it’s been easy for me? But that’s how you wanted it.

JULIAN
You think I’ve enjoyed thinking of a husband for you all the time?

JULIET
Why, Dad? Why? Why do you have to think of a husband for me? [95]

JULIAN
For the family.

JULIET
What family?

JULIAN
This family. We deserve a lot more, Juliet, than we’ve ever gotten.

JULIET
Dad, we’ve never been a family.

MARIA (entering with JULIAN’s briefcase)
Don Julián —

JULIAN
I’m not going to let you ruin this. You’re beautiful and young. And people like us —

JULIET
Us?

JULIAN
Us! You and me. When something good comes along we have to grab it fast and hold on. Because in one instant, it can all be taken away from us. Over anything. We’re too dark, too light, too short, too tall, too loud. It can be anything!

JULIET
Dad, do you really think —

JULIAN
Juliet, how many banks have I been at? Do you know?

JULIET
Dad —

JULIAN
I’m not even fifty yet. And it’s over. They’ve let me go as high as they’ll let me. No V.P. No more fancy titles. But Ruben is different.

JULIET
Dad — [96]

JULIAN
With Ruben as your husband, nobody, nobody will ever slam the door on your face.

JULIET
Like you did with Mom?

JULIAN
You are my daughter, and I do know what to do.

JULIET
Like you did with Mom?

JULIAN
You wanna go out on the street like Tommy? Go do it! I’ll disown you.

JULIET
Like Mom?

JULIAN
Your mother has nothing to do with this. I will disown you!

JULIET
Dad! Please! Ruben isn’t right for me.

JULIAN
He’s perfect!

JULIET
He’s still not right. For me.

JULIAN
I’m still your father. And I’m still responsible for this family.

JULIET
Dad, without Mom —

JULIAN
Juliet, don’t —

JULIET
Don’t what? Don’t say it? Again? [97]

MARIA
¿Don Julián? Your briefcase.

JULIET
Dad, without Mom, we’ve never been a family.

JULIAN (taking briefcase)
Day in. Day out. Smile when they promote everyone around me. Why do I do this? For you? (pause) Maria?

MARIA
Go to work, Julián. I’ll watch her. I’ll watch her.

JULIAN exits.

Scene 9

JULIET
Maria, I was married in church. I have a husband. I can’t marry twice.

MARIA
Julieta. Mija. Romeo is gone. And we both know he’s never going to get his papers. Maybe you should marry Ruben.

JULIET
Maria, I’m already married.

MARIA
Yes. But who knows? Who was there? Nobody! Julieta, Romeo is not even a citizen. With Ruben you’ll have a second chance, mija. Go for it!

JULIET
No.

MARIA
Romeo is never coming back. You know that, don’t you?

JULIET
I can’t marry twice.

MARIA
In church, no. But city hall? [98]

JULIET
No! I’m going to see Father Lawrence.

MARIA
What can he do?

JULIET
I don’t know. He’s a priest. Something.

JULIET exits.

MARIA
Mija, wait! Wait!

MARIA runs after JULIET.

Scene 10

November 2nd, 10 a.m. Lights rise on FATHER LAWRENCE and RUBEN.

FATHER LAWRENCE
You want to get married? To Juliet Bosquet? I think this is a bit premature.

RUBEN
Mr. Bosquet is worried. He thinks Juliet is dwelling on Tommy’s death. A wedding will get her mind off things.

FATHER LAWRENCE
I wish I could agree with him —

RUBEN
We want a private ceremony. Just family. Because of Tommy.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Tommy. Yes, of course.

JULIET enters.

JULIET
Father? [99]

FATHER LAWRENCE
Juliet! Speaking of —

JULIET
Are you free, Father? Or should I come later?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Oh no, I’m free.

MARIA enters.

Oh, Maria too! Ruben, if you don’t mind …

RUBEN
Bring her up to date, Father. You know, time. Date. Place.

(exiting) Jules? Call me?

JULIET
Yes. Yes. I’ll call you.

RUBEN
Good.

JULIET
Sure. I’ll call you. Later. Later.

RUBEN exits.

Scene 11

FATHER LAWRENCE
He wants to marry you!

JULIET
Everything is totally messed up!

FATHER LAWRENCE
If your father insists on this wedding —

JULIET
You’re not going to tell ’em? About me and Romeo? [100]

FATHER LAWRENCE
I don’t know. I never expected —

JULIET
Because if you do (picking up a spade) I’ll take this and kill myself —

FATHER LAWRENCE (struggling with JULIET)
Oh stop this! You can’t kill yourself. It’s against the teachings of the Church.

JULIET
Great! That’s very comforting. Exactly what I needed to hear! But don’t worry. I’ll do it somewhere else.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Juliet, I never thought Romeo would —

JULIET
You married us in church. I’m not going to let anybody else touch me —

MARIA (selecting plants from FATHER LAWRENCE’s garden)
It’s all right, mija. We’ll just go home and work things out.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Maria, what are you doing?

MARIA
Come on. Let’s go.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Wait a minute. Not with those.

MARIA
Father, I know these yerbas better than you do.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Just because some of them grow in your country? You don’t know anything about —

MARIA
What don’t I know? That you got them illegally? That you’re trading across borders? You talk about this girl’s problem with anyone, and I’ll talk about your problem. With the cops. [101]

FATHER LAWRENCE
Maria, those plants may not be what you think they are —

MARIA (picking more plants)
She has a right to live. I need to help her. Julieta, vámonos.

JULIET
No. You’re both crazy.

She runs out.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Juliet! (beat) Now look what you’ve done!

MARIA
She needs our help, Father. You want to force her into sin? Into adultery?

FATHER LAWRENCE
Adultery? Dear Lord … has it come to this?

MARIA
We have to help her. She has nobody. Except us.

Scene 12

Minutes later. JULIET runs into a CALAVERA.

CALAVERA
Excuse me. I’m sorry.

JULIET
No. It was my fault. I didn’t see you —

CALAVERA
Hey. It’s all right. Mistakes happen.

The CALAVERA exits. [102]

Scene 13

Lights up on MARIA picking leaves off the plants she took from FATHER LAWRENCE’s garden. JULIET enters.

MARIA
Juliet, your father is so stubborn, such a cabezón.

JULIET
Maria, I just saw the strangest person on the street.

MARIA
The only way to change him is to shock him, ¿sabes?

JULIET
Maria? Isn’t it kind of late for trick or treaters?

MARIA
These leaves have special medicine. When you chew them, they’ll make you feel cold and sleepy, your breath will get very light, and your cheeks and lips will turn white. You’ll become very still. And you’ll stay like that for one day. One whole day.

JULIET
What are they?

MARIA
Medicine. Medicina.

JULIET
Herbal medicine? Maria, I don’t believe in that stuff!

MARIA
This is medicine! Used by curanderos. Holy men. In my country. To cleanse the body and calm the mind.

JULIET
One whole day?

MARIA
But then, you’ll wake up. Exactly as if from a nap. But until then, mija, you’ll lie in bed and look calm, very still — [103]

JULIET
I’ll look dead. That’s what you’re saying.

MARIA
This way, your father won’t do anything. And while you’re sleeping, I’ll find Romeo. Together, you’ll go to México, where you’ll live like love birds.

Lights up on JULIAN, seen by JULIET.

JULIAN
You want to go out on the street? Like Tommy? I’LL DISOWN YOU!

JULIET
Oh, Maria! Find Romeo. Please.

MARIA
Are you brave, mija? Brave enough to do this? Brave enough for love?

JULIAN
I’LL DISOWN YOU!

JULIET
But Dad will never forgive me.

MARIA
After the first grandchild, even the hardest father forgives everything.

JULIET (taking green leaves)
Okay then. I’ll do it.

MARIA
The leaves are bitter. You have to chew and chew and chew. No matter what.

JULIET
Love will give me strength. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.

MARIA
Ándale, mija. And now, I have to go talk to someone who knows where Romeo is.

JULIET
Gracias, María. [104]

MARIA
De nada. Adiós, mija.

JULIET
Adiós. I’ll do it, Maria, I promise.

MARIA
Que Dios te bendiga.

MARIA exits.

JULIET
Yeah.

Scene 14

November 2nd, noon. JULIAN and MANUEL enter.

JULIAN
Go to the caterer and give him this. This is exactly what I want. No substitutions.

MANUEL
¡Chingao! I can’t read this!

He exits.

JULIAN
And how are you?

JULIET
Good.

JULIAN
You went to see Father Lawrence?

JULIET
Yes.

JULIAN
And he helped you see things my way?

JULIET
Yes. [105]

JULIET
Someday, Juliet, you’ll understand —

JULIET
Dad, it’s okay. You’re right. You’re right!

JULIAN
And everything will go as planned? A brunch tomorrow. And then the following day, a small, tasteful affair.

JULIET
Yes. Everything will go as planned.

JULIAN
Good. I think Father Lawrence deserves a generous donation for this.

JULIET
He’ll like that.

JULIAN
Poor Jules. You look tired. You should take a nap, sweetheart.

JULIET
I will. I’ll try. I’m sorry you have so many things to do, Dad.

JULIAN
Yes. But all for you. Jules?

JULIET
Yes?

JULIAN
I know you’ll be up to it.

JULIET
Yeah. I will. I promise, Dad.

JULIAN
That’s a good girl.

JULIAN exits.

JULIET
Goodbye. God knows when we’ll see each other again. [106]

Scene 15

November 2nd, 12:30 p.m.

JULIET
I feel cold. Like I’m going to faint. I could be dying! Maybe I should call him back! (pause) No. He wouldn’t understand. And besides, I have to do this by myself.

She plays with the leaves.

They’re just drugs. Everybody takes drugs. It’s no big deal. Maria thinks these are even purer than regular drugs. (beat) But what if they don’t work? What if I have to marry Ruben after all? No, that won’t happen. It can’t. Thanks to these.

She begins to chew. The leaves are bitter. A CALAVERA appears.

CALAVERA #1
Nice!

JULIET
Oh!

CALAVERA #1
Can you see me?

JULIET (dismissing the vision)
But what if these plants are really poisonous, and Father Lawrence is trying to kill me so that no one will know about my marriage which he, after all, performed?

Another CALAVERA appears.

CALAVERA #2
Hey! You know what? I think that’s possible.

JULIET
I could die. Just to protect him.

CALAVERA #2
Do you see me? [107]

JULIET
But that’s crazy.

She chews.

Father Lawrence is a priest in the eyes of God, after all.

Another CALAVERA appears.

CALAVERA #3
But he’s not very smart. Is he?

JULIET
And what if I wake up?

CALAVERA #3 (amused)
Wake up!

JULIET
Before Romeo comes. Then what do I do? I can’t pretend I’m dead.

CALAVERA #1
It’s not that hard.

JULIET
But if I do wake up, I’ll go crazy.

She chews more.

Alone in the house. With Tommy.

CALAVERA #2
It’s possible.

JULIET
They say that spirits fly, especially if they died suddenly, like Tommy did.

TOMMY CALAVERA appears with a switchblade.

TOMMY CALAVERA
First Benny. Then Romeo. Then you.

JULIET
Tommy! Put down that horrible knife.

BENNY CALAVERA appears. [108]

BENNY CALAVERA
Hey Tommy? What are you waiting for? An invitation?

TOMMY CALAVERA and BENNY CALAVERA fight.

JULIET
Benny! Tommy! Stop it! Tommy! I’m sorry I married Romeo behind your back!

BENNY CALAVERA falls under TOMMY’s knife again.

TOMMY CALAVERA (to JULIET)
I’ll get you next. And then Romeo. Do you see me?

JULIET (chewing more)
No! No! Please! I’m chewing.

A revelation — she knows now that TOMMY CALAVERA is real.

I do see you.

JULIET faints. BENNY CALAVERA catches her in his arms. Lights rise on ROMEO seen by JULIET.

ROMEO
With you, Julieta, I have lived!

JULIET
Romeo?

BENNY
Sleep, Julieta.

JULIET
Benny? Where am I?

She has another revelation.

Benny! You’re here.

She falls into a stupor.

BENNY CALAVERA
Sleep, Julieta, sleep. And dream of justice.

BENNY CALAVERA lays JULIET down, then exits. [109]

Scene 16

November 2nd, 3:30 p.m. MARIA crosses to JULIET.

MARIA
Julieta? Julieta? The leaves were good.

JULIAN (entering)
Is something wrong?

MARIA
It’s Juliet, señor. She’s not moving.

JULIAN
Well, wake her up.

MARIA
She’s very still.

JULIAN
Maria. Wake her up.

(touching JULIET) She’s cold.

MARIA
The blood has gone deep inside her body.

JULIAN
There’s no breath from her lips. (beat) She’s dead. First Tommy, now this.

MARIA
Julián, I’m sorry.

JULIAN
I’ll talk to Tony. Romeo Martinez did this.

MARIA
Julián, forget about —

JULIAN
Look at my girl! Every low-lifer on this block is going to hear about this. I’m going to put up money. Lots of money. And Romeo Martinez is going to pay. One way or another. [110]

JULIAN exits.

MARIA
¡Julián!

Scene 17

FATHER LAWRENCE and MANUEL enter.

FATHER LAWRENCE (touching JULIET)
She’s very cold, Maria.

MANUEL
Like a flower frozen by a cold wind.

MARIA
And forgotten again. While Julián chases devils.

FATHER LAWRENCE (giving MANUEL a piece of paper)
Go to Tijuana. This is where I think Romeo is. Tell him her death is a lie, made up to give him time to come and get her and then return to Mexico. Tell him to get here quickly. Anything could happen.

MANUEL
Sí, padre.

MANUEL exits.

FATHER LAWRENCE
Maria, those plants are not supposed to be used like this.

MARIA
Father, can we pray?

Scene 18

November 2nd, 4 p.m. Lights rise on ROMEO and a CALAVERA, though he does not see the figure as such, in Tijuana.

ROMEO
So this is Tijuana? [111]

CALAVERA
Pos, sí.

ROMEO
It’s not bad. Not bad.

CALAVERA
Chale. I don’t live here. I live on the other side.

ROMEO
The other night I had a dream that I was dreaming. And in my dream, I got some real good news. I could see love, my favorite Mexican god, somewhere in his palacio, his house of love. And I was walking on clouds, man, como un pingo, jumping up and down, and getting in the way of everything. And then I saw Julieta.

Lights rise on JULIET, seen by ROMEO.

And she told me I was dead. And then she turned to me. And kissed me.

JULIET
And gave you everything. I gave you everything.

ROMEO
And then I woke up.

Lights fade on JULIET.

You know, Julieta and me have a pretty good thing going, mano, when even a dream can make me feel that good.

CALAVERA
Chale. Too bad she’s dead.

ROMEO
Who’s dead?

CALAVERA
Your girl. Her father is bribing the whole barrio. He’s mortgaged his house y no sé que. To get who did it. They say he’s offering money to everybody. Just like the cops!

ROMEO
Get me a coyote. I have to get across the border fast. [112]

CALAVERA
Take it easy, mano. You look crazy. Immigration will take one look at you and lock you up for sure.

ROMEO
You see this? American dollars. Get me a coyote. A good coyote. And I’ll give you more.

CALAVERA
Okay, man. I’ll see what I can do. ¡Ay, te watcho!

The CALAVERA exits.

ROMEO
¡Pobre Julieta!

A CALAVERA appears.

Why should she die and I live?

CALAVERA
¿Romeo? ¿Recuerdas el curandero?

The CALAVERA exits.

ROMEO
I saw an old curandero near here. An old man with dirty clothes and sad eyes. Pobre flaco, he probably hasn’t eaten in a week. His poor tienda is full of snake skins, deer horns, beetles, and crushed bone. Everything in little boxes. Este pobre will sell me poison. Even if it’s against the law. ¡CURANDERO! ¡AYUDA!

Lights rise on the CURANDERO.

(referring to the money) Half of this is for the coyote. And the other half for the curandero. And certain death. (beat) Curandero. Ayuda.

Scene 19

November 2nd, 5 p.m.

CURANDERO
¿Quién habla? [113]

ROMEO
¡Venga, hombre! Tengo dinero.

CURANDERO
¿Y qué?

ROMEO (to himself)
I need poison strong enough to stop a man in minutes and take his breath away. As quickly as an uzi burning through his heart. ¿Curandero? ¡Necesito veneno! ¿Lo traes?

CURANDERO
¡No! ¡No! Eso no tengo. Sabes que no puedo vender cosas así. ¡N’ombre! Me matan. ¡Me ponen en la cárcel!

ROMEO (to himself)
Poor man. Scared to live. The world his enemy, the law his jailer. And no one cares if he lives or dies.

(to the CURANDERO) ¡Tengo dolares! American dollars!

The CURANDERO holds one hand out for money
while the other hand is carrying a small vial.

CURANDERO
¡Ay! Pues …

ROMEO
De los Estados Unidos. American money.

CURANDERO
¡No me digas!

He offers the vial to ROMEO.

Ay, ’sta. Trágalo cuando quieras. Aunque tengas la fuerza de veinte hombres, caes como un ladrillo.

ROMEO
Gracias.

He offers him money.

This is for your poverty, old man. [114]

CURANDERO (taking the money)
Ay, gracias. (beat) Mi pobreza me hace hacerlo.

ROMEO (taking the vial)
I know. Your will belongs to God.

CURANDERO (counting money)
Gracias. Gracias.

ROMEO
I give you money — worse poison than this. It kills more people in this ugly world, more than any of your dry weeds and powders. Gracias a usted, viejo.

CURANDERO
De nada. No hay de que.

The CURANDERO exits.

ROMEO
Buy food, old man. And some tequila for your soul.

(to the vial) And you, sweet death, I’ll drink you when I find my love.

ROMEO exits.

Scene 20

Moments later. Lights rise on JULIET, waking up, early, from the leaves. TOMMY’s body lies next to her.

JULIET
Where am I? Is it time? Maria? Romeo? (beat) It’s so quiet.

TOMMY CALAVERA sits up.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Have you been to the morgue yet, Juliet?

JULIET
Tommy?!

TOMMY CALAVERA (flicking open a switchblade)
I hear they have a space there waiting for you. [115]

JULIET
Romeo? Maria? No, Tommy. Please!!

TOMMY CALAVERA
Go out into the street, little girl. I’ll still find you. You thought you could escape. Get out. No one ever escapes.

JULIET
I’m sorry, Tommy. For me. For Romeo.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Your daddy wanted to throw you out. And now I’m doing it.

(quietly) Boo. Boo.

JULIET
Tommy, it’s okay. I’m going. See? I’m going.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Boo.

JULIET runs out.

Boo.

He looks at himself and heaves a huge sigh.

Scene 21

November 2nd, 8 p.m. Lights rise on ROMEO and COYOTE CALAVERA.

COYOTE CALAVERA
Hey, Romeo? I got a ride going north. No tickets, no seats, no snacks, no water, no toilets, no cops. You want a ride?

ROMEO
More than my life!

COYOTE CALAVERA
Pues, let’s go. [116]

ROMEO
Is it only me tonight?

COYOTE CALAVERA
Are you kidding? Everybody wants to come to the United Estates of America. ¡Miralos!

CALAVERAS appear from every direction scurrying around, looking for a way to get across the border.

CALAVERA (scurrying)
Which way, hombre? Which way?

COYOTE CALAVERA
Do you see all those bright lights from the bottom of the hill all the way to the top of the hill?

ALL CALAVERAS
¡Un chorro de luces!

COYOTE CALAVERA
The United Estates of America. It’s a wonderland. A big park. With lots of room. For everybody!

Loud sirens rise, followed by screeching car brakes. Shots ring out. The CALAVERAS tumble and dive. A few are hit by cars. Some are hit by bullets.

ROMEO (to COYOTE CALAVERA)
Cut the bullshit. Just get me across.

COYOTE CALAVERA
Okay, mano. I’ll take you to my favorite spot.

ROMEO and COYOTE CALAVERA crawl on their hands and knees. Lights rise on a tall UNCLE SAM.

This is it. The United Estates of America. Are you ready?

ROMEO
I got across before. I’ll do it again.

As ROMEO and COYOTE CALAVERA run towards UNCLE SAM, he starts moving too, forcing a standoff. [117]

COYOTE CALAVERA (tumbling into darkness)
Good luck, mano. You’re gonna need it!

He exits.

Scene 22

ROMEO (to UNCLE SAM)
I’m an American! ¡From los Estados Unidos!

UNCLE SAM
Are you?

ROMEO
And I speak English!

UNCLE SAM
So what?

ROMEO
I have a wife there now.

UNCLE SAM
COWARD! BEGGAR! YOU THINK AMERICA WANTS YOUR KIND?

ROMEO and UNCLE SAM dodge each other.

ROMEO
Coward? Beggar? Sinner and thief to you. An americano to me.

ROMEO rolls between UNCLE SAM’s legs, tumbling into darkness.

Scene 23

Lights rise on MANUEL and a CALAVERA in Tijuana. The CALAVERA has his back to MANUEL.

MANUEL
¿Con permiso? [118]

CALAVERA (turning around)
A sus órdenes.

He has a moment of recognition.

Compadre.

MANUEL (recognizing him)
¡Dios mío!

CALAVERA
Why surprise? It’s still Day of the Dead, compadre. For one more hour. (beat) ¿Y tú? Your business?

MANUEL
I’m looking for someone —

CALAVERA
¿Romeo? He went back. To the other side. Running. Full of love. With a bottle of poison in his pocket.

MANUEL
Poison? Love? And lies? May God forgive us all!

CALAVERA
Poison, love, and lies. ¡Híjole! There are times, compadre, when nothing, nothing in this world, ever goes right.

Scene 24

November 2nd, 11 p.m. Lights rise on a HOMEBOY tagging the Bosquet home.

ROMEO
¡Muchacho travieso! ¿Qué estás haciendo? What have the dead ever done to you, chamaco?

HOMEBOY
Who’s dead? [119]

ROMEO
A girl. As beautiful as a flower, soft and white like a magnolia. With a soul as delicate as silk.

HOMEBOY
¡Híjole, man! There ain’t nobody in the whole world like that!

ROMEO
Ándale, chamaco. Go home! ¡Vete!

HOMEBOY
¡Híjole! All right.

He exits. Lights rise on TOMMY’s body lying in wake. CALAVERAS surround him, arranging flowers. Freeze frame: ROMEO seeing the CALAVERAS and the CALAVERAS seeing ROMEO.

ROMEO
¡Dios mío!

CALAVERAS
Ah!

ROMEO
¡La Muerte!

CALAVERAS
¡Despacio!

ROMEO
¡La Muerte!

CALAVERAS
¡Silencio!

ROMEO
¡Ay, que espanto!

He turns away, terrified. The CALAVERAS exit quickly. ROMEO looks again, furtively. [120]

Scene 25

ROMEO
Juliet’s house. Surrounded by death, hatred, and pain. Flowers. Shrouds. Candles. And cold. As cold as a morgue.

He sees TOMMY’s body.

Tommy? Still covered with blood? The undertaker cleans, but the blood comes back. Manchas on your soul.

TOMMY CALAVERA enters.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Wetback!

ROMEO
Tommy!

TOMMY CALAVERA
You broke into my uncle’s house.

ROMEO
Still full of hate? Why? I didn’t hate you. But everybody wanted us to hate each other. Before we became cousins, Tommy, we should have been carnales. Brothers.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Juliet is out. Out of your life. Out of my life. Out of this house. Out.

ROMEO
Dead?

TOMMY CALAVERA
May as well be. She’s on the street. At the store. Walking against a red. At the park. She could be anywhere. Anywhere she goes, she shouldn’t be.

ROMEO
I’ll find her.

TOMMY CALAVERA
Anywhere she is, she shouldn’t be. [121]

ROMEO
I’ll find her. I’ll find her!

ROMEO runs out.

TOMMY CALAVERA
On the street. At the store. At a red light. In the park. Go, Romeo, go. Look for your Juliet.

ROMEO exits.

Scene 26

Moments later. The stage is empty. Night sounds rise. After a beat a CALAVERA appears.

CALAVERA #1

Darkness. Heat.
Dry winds. Shadows.

(singing)

El Lay at night. Tossing and turning.
Hour by hour. El Lay turning.

Another CALAVERA appears.

CALAVERA #2

Another day of God’s creation.
Life and Death in celebration.

Gunshot, far and distant. The CALAVERAS listen to it briefly.

CALAVERA #2

Day of the Dead is almost complete.

CALAVERA #1

While El Lay tries to sleep.

Another CALAVERA appears.

CALAVERA #3

Shouting and crying.
Screaming sirens.
El Lay at night. Tossing and turning.

CALAVERA #1

Hour by hour. El Lay is burning.

Another CALAVERA appears. [122]

CALAVERA #4

Another day of God’s creation.
Life and Death in celebration.

ROMEO (entering)
Juliet! Juliet!

Gunshot, far and distant. The CALAVERAS listen to it briefly.

CALAVERA #4

Day of the Dead almost complete.

CALAVERA #3

While El Lay tries to sleep.

ROMEO
Juliet!

CALAVERA #1
¿Romeo? The streets of El Lay are no place for you.

CALAVERA #2
For anybody.

ROMEO (seeing the CALAVERAS)
Death? Again?

He has a realization.

No!

CALAVERA #3
¡Romeo! ¡Romeo!
El Lay is dying! [123]

ROMEO
Stay away from me!

CALAVERA #4
Bleeding from knives, bullets, and rage!

ROMEO
No! Not yet! No!

CALAVERA #1
¡Romeo! ¡Romeo!

CALAVERA #2
El Lay is crying!

ROMEO
No!

CALAVERA #4
¡Romeo! ¡Romeo!

CALAVERA #3
Be still! Be quiet!

CALAVERA #2
Romeo. Romeo.

CALAVERA #1
Your time has come.

BENNY CALAVERA steps out of the shadows.

BENNY CALAVERA
Bullets fly through the air night and day, their steel bodies crashing through us daily.

ROMEO
Benny?

BENNY CALAVERA
Steel vultures, naked and blind. Hitting us daily. Hitting us daily. With all of their might. [124]

ROMEO
And nobody sleeps. Even at night.

CALAVERAS
¡Romeo! ¡Romeo!

BENNY CALAVERA
The bullet is flying.

CALAVERAS
¡Romeo! ¡Romeo!

BENNY CALAVERA
Your time has come.

A gunshot, this time closer and louder. As the CALAVERAS follow its imaginary path, all their eyes turn slowly towards ROMEO. A flute plays.

ROMEO
Benny?

(clutching the side of his face) Benny!

(looking at the blood on his hand) I wanted. To see. Her. Touch. Her. Gone? My love. Gone?

(staggering, losing control of his legs) Gone. Gone.

As ROMEO falls, BENNY CALAVERA catches him.

ROMEO
Benny. (beat) You’re still here, man. You’re still here.

BENNY CALAVERA
Ain’t I always been here for you, primo? From the day you came across the border, I’ve been here. For you.

ROMEO
I was ready, Benny. I was ready.

He drops the vial of poison, and BENNY CALAVERA picks it up.

BENNY CALAVERA
With this? [125]

ROMEO
I was ready. But you know what? I was wrong. In this world, primo, nobody needs poison.

ROMEO dies. Mesoamerican music rises.

CALAVERAS (singing)

This house!
This earth!
We do not inhabit it!

BENNY CALAVERA
¡Romeo!

CALAVERAS

This house!
This earth!
We only borrow it.

BENNY CALAVERA
¡Primo!

CALAVERAS

We borrow it
Daily!
Briefly!
Briefly!

We borrow it
Briefly
Just once!

Lights rise on JULIET and HOMEBOY.

HOMEBOY (entering)
I saw it. I saw it.

JULIET
Where?

HOMEBOY
Over there. See? Over there. [126]

Freeze frame: JULIET sees an otherworldly sight — BENNY CALAVERA holding ROMEO with other CALAVERAS surrounding them, a Mesoamerican pietà.

JULIET
No!

HOMEBOY
It ain’t right, you know? It ain’t right.

He exits.

CALAVERA #1 & #2

This house!
This earth!
We do not inhabit it.

JULIET
Romeo?

CALAVERAS #1 & #2

This house.
This earth.
We only borrow it.

CALAVERAS

Daily!
Daily!
Briefly!
Briefly!

JULIET
Romeo? Crying? Tears on your cheek. Crying?

BENNY CALAVERA
It’s too late, Julieta, too late.

JULIET kisses ROMEO.

JULIET
Tears and blood on your face. Tears and blood on your sweet face. No! No! Romeo. Dead. Broken and torn. My only love. Broken and torn. (beat) And me, my love? What about me? [127]

A CALAVERA offers JULIET a knife.

JULIET
With this?

She picks up the knife.

Romeo, Romeo, one last kiss. (beat) So much love given. (beat) So much … and more.

JULIET stabs herself. As she falls, BENNY CALAVERA catches her.

BENNY CALAVERA
Romeo and Julieta, may your souls fly to the thirteenth heaven. And with the bodies of hummingbirds, may they fly free forever.

BENNY CALAVERA gently lays JULIET next to ROMEO. Suddenly, city sounds explode in a wild cacophony of noise — Los Angeles, once again, momentarily gone mad. Specials rise on MARIA and JULIAN.

MARIA
It was love, Julián. Love.

CALAVERAS #1 & #3

Your body a flower
Your heart a flower
Give them to earth
And return!

MARIA
Some of us are given one chance to really love. One chance to see ourselves in others. And loving them, love ourselves.

CALAVERAS #2 & #4

Give them to earth!
Give them to earth!
Give them to earth
And return!

JULIAN
And without love? [128]

MARIA
Without love?

CALAVERAS

Your body a flower
Your heart a flower

MARIA
Without love, there is nothing. Nothing.

CALAVERAS

Given them to earth
And return!

Specials rise on FATHER LAWRENCE and SGT. LOPEZ.

FATHER LAWRENCE
A man of the cloth, and I know so little. Almost nothing.

CALAVERAS #2 & #4

Your body a flower
Your heart a flower

FATHER LAWRENCE
Sometimes, as I sit in my garden and see the smog above me, yellow and thick, I get scared.

CALAVERAS

Give them to earth
And return!

FATHER LAWRENCE
God could forget us. Under the smog. And never think of us again.

SGT. LOPEZ
Well, Father, maybe. But maybe something else could happen.

FATHER LAWRENCE
What?

CALAVERAS

Give them to earth!
Give them to earth! [129]

SGT. LOPEZ
Maybe under the smog, we’re going to be the ones to forget. You know, God.

CALAVERAS

Give them to earth
And return!
Return!

Special rises on CANDELARIA.

CANDELARIA
I had one son. And one daughter. Romeo and Julieta, Señor Bosquet. Now what do I do? In this cruel and heartless country, what do I do?

SGT. LOPEZ
The only thing I know, Father, is what we do to each other shouldn’t be allowed.

Special rises on JULIAN.

JULIAN
Tony?

SGT. LOPEZ
Yes, Julian?

JULIAN
It’s beyond us, isn’t it? The streets. Where we are right now. It’s beyond us. Don’t you think?

SGT. LOPEZ
I hope not, Julián. I hope not.

CALAVERAS

Your body a flower
Your heart a flower

SGT. LOPEZ
Someday. Call the wagon.

Specials fade on MARIA, JULIAN, CANDELARIA, FATHER LAWRENCE, and SGT. LOPEZ.

CALAVERAS

Give them to earth [130]
And return!
Return!

MANUEL appears, now dressed as a skeleton, having removed the clothes of the living that he has worn throughout the play.

MANUEL CALAVERA
Romeo and Julieta, niños, children of Mexico, your next journey has begun. Like flowers our bodies bloom. Fed by the sun and cooled by the wind. Like flowers they wither, their flower blush gone. Romeo and Julieta. Flowers of earth. Arise. Arise and become what you’ve always been. Flowers and song.

ROMEO (waking)
Tezcatlipoca’s smoke is rising … rising … ¿Julieta? Julieta.

CALAVERAS #2 & #4
Give them to earth

ROMEO
¿Julieta? Julieta.

CALAVERAS

Give them to earth!
Give them to earth!
And return!

JULIET awakens.

ROMEO
Julieta.

ROMEO and JULIET embrace.

Julieta, they say the gods like to make fun of us. Maliciosos. They give us life and then they play with us. And torment us. I’m sorry for leaving you. But never again, mi linda. Never again.

JULIET
Romeo? Romeo. Never more wanted. Never more loved. Together, my Romeo. Finally. Together.

ROMEO
Juntos. [131]

JULIET
Together.

MANUEL
Earth flowers, spirits, niños. Come. Vengan.

CALAVERAS (singing)

Earth flowers, spirits, niños,
We welcome you to our home.
Let love flower between us,
Let love flower among us,
Here in our house,
The house of flowers,
Welcome to our home.

A bright light appears in the direction of the sun. All the CALAVERAS, including TOMMY CALAVERA, BENNY CALAVERA, ROMEO, and JULIET, turn towards it and begin to sing.

CALAVERAS

Earth flowers, spirits, niños,
We welcome you to our home.
Let life flower between us,
Let death flower between us,
Here in our house,
The house of flowers,
Welcome to our home.
Flores, santos, niños,
Bienvenidos a nuestra casa.
Allí celebramos la vida,
Allí celebramos la muerte,
Allí en nuestra casa,
Divina casa de flores.
¡Bienvenidos a nuestra casa!
¡BIENVENIDOS A NUESTRA CASA!
¡BIENVENIDOS A NUESTRA CASA!
¡BIENVENIDAS A NUESTRA CASA!

All the CALAVERAS walk into the light.

END OF PLAY